The Wind
by xox-'.'-K-A-G-O-M-E-'.'-xox
Summary: Hinata, a young kindy teacher is starting the day when charming Daddy Naruto walks in and instantly Hinata has fallen. How far will Hinata's fascinations go and is there more to Naruto than meets the eye? -Pairing Mixing warning-
1. Chapter 1

_Heyyy!~ If you're here because you've read something I've written, take a deep breath. Yes, it is NaruHina-y. Give it a chance ok? For me? For Naruto's baby? I'm trying something new-ish. _

_This idea came from me and __**La Vita a Colori, **__was discussed in greater length with __**Marcab**__ and then coaxed, with some great difficulty, not gonna lie, (Curse you female character that isn't Sakura!) onto the page by me. So pieces of credit cake to them. Go lavish them with love if you like this. They deserve it for putting up with me ;P_

_As per norm with the start of fics I have no idea whether this is good at all so review so I know if I should keep going with this one, ok? _

_Gyah! I'm so nervous!_

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**The Wind**

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He had to be the most handsome thing she had seen in her entire life.

There he stood in the doorway of her kindergarten's entry way smiling in a somewhat sheepish way that made Hinata's heart do a funny little jump, the pudgy fingers of a little girl curled around his pinky finger.

He was simply charming; she'd never seen anything quite like him before. She didn't know if it was the smile he was giving her, that awkward quirk of his wide mouth or the way the sunlight from through the door caught in his mess of blonde tresses or, she nearly gasped as he opened his eyes as his smile softened, the brilliant summer sky colour of his boldly blue eyes that had made her stop and stare. Or maybe it was the air he had to him. Hyuuga Hinata never considered herself a shallow person and never judged someone by how they appeared at first glance, God knew that you had to be pretty opened minded when it came to the age of some of the mothers bringing their kids into the kindergarten, so Hinata now thought it was probably the feel of the man before her that was making her heartbeat race.

He was confident despite the smile he was giving her; she could tell by the way he stood firmly on two feet right in the middle of the floor. Perhaps this experience was new for him? She could also tell that he was kind by the way he was standing with his child so close to his side like it was all very natural. The relaxed arch of his eyebrows and his smooth tan skin, the bright orange T-shirt he was wearing; he was a naturally bright and happy person. She liked that. Although, the whiskered lines at his cheeks.. Endearing...

He was gorgeous, so amazing that she thought she might pass out. Just like that she had fallen and fallen what she felt, from the spin of the earth beneath her feet and the jittering of her hands, rather hard for this man.

Love at first sight. Or something. She'd never had this sort of feeling before...

Hinata felt her hands smooth her canary yellow apron and smiled graciously; overcoming her initial shock as the man began to speak, seemingly getting over his few seconds of jumpiness.

"Morning, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I'd like to see about having my daughter come here. I've had her at home during the day til now but I thought she should make some friends," he said to Hinata with a fond smile at the girl at his side. Hinata nodded slowly and timidly with a formal "G-good morning Uzumaki san, it's very nice to meet you. I-I think that can be arranged", her nervous stutter rearing its ugly head. She tried not to feel embarrassed but with someone like "Uzumaki Naruto" standing before her, it was a bit hard. Hastily, she tried to calm herself and then quickly bobbed down onto her haunches to become level with the Uzumaki Naruto's daughter, guiltily sneaking a look at Naruto's left hand. No ring...

A single father?

"What's your name sweetie?" asked Hinata gently, turning her attention to the small child standing patiently at Naruto's side.

"Natsuki," replied the girl smiling a big grin at Hinata as the young kindergarten teacher took in her cool greeny blue eyes, smooth pale skin and light brown, sunstreaked-blonde hair that was parted in an even centre part and framed her small round face in child soft curls. Nothing about her was the same as Naruto apart from the same kind of warmth her smile held when she grinned with her eyes closed just as her father had been a moment earlier.

"Well Natsuki chan, my name is Hinata sensei. You can put your things in a cubby hole over there; remember to take off your shoes ok? Then you can go inside while your Daddy and me have a talk," replied Hinata and Natsuki nodded eagerly in reply, her adorable wavy curls bouncing with the movement as she let go of her father's pinky and began to work the buckles of her shoes. Hinata rose to her full height that on the rise of the step into the entry way made her almost eye to eye with Uzumaki Naruto. She felt a blush rise up her neck and into her cheeks as he blinked once and smiled at her before Natsuki tugged on the leg of Naruto's blue jeans, demanding attention with a cute pouty face. Naruto bent down to help take off his daughter's shoes while Hinata wondered, her blush deepening, if Naruto also had a pouty face or if that was something that Natsuki got from her...

_Mother. _

Ah.

The young woman felt her whole body tense and her stomach jump up under her ribcage.

Naruto didn't seem to be married but he must have been together with someone he loved very much to have such a beautiful child. And here Hinata was, not even trying to stop herself from, for the first time in her life, "eyeing up" the father of one of her kids...

She felt guilty even though it was just thinking, it was just looking. But she felt ashamed of herself.

As soon as her shoes were off, Natsuki gave her father a quick kiss and then raced past Hinata and into the large open room where all the other children that Hinata cared for were playing happily. Naruto straightened and Hinata tried not to meet his eye, still feeling embarrassed with herself.

"Uzumaki san, please come this way to the office, I just need you to fill in some paperwork and then you're free to bring Natsuki chan here as much as you want," she muttered as clearly as she could manage and gestured for him to follow her down the hallway.

"Really? Is it really as simple as that Hinata sensei?" asked Naruto, amazement in his voice as he walked two steps behind her and Hinata nearly passed out with embarrassment from the way he addressed her.

"T-t-t-that's not necessary, that name..." she stuttered as they turned into the office.

"A-and yes, it's just some contact details. T-the kindergarten doesn't have a lot of students so I am happy to take on anyone who would trust me with their children's care," she told him, her eyes skirting between in front of her and to where Naruto had taken a long step to fall into pace with her, his eyes on her blushing face.

"Ah, right! That's pretty cool Hinata sensei."He was loud and oblivious to Hinata's obvious nervousness. Once again, the smile made her state of consciousness waver. She didn't know whether to bask in the warm feeling his presence and smile gave her or be terrified of his effect on her.

They sat down opposite each other once inside the office and Hinata timidly raised her lavender eyes to Naruto as she handed him the contacts form. He caught her gaze on him and gave her one small smile before flicking his eyes down to the sheet, a shadow casting into the blue as he began to concentrate. Hinata's heartbeat jumped nervously as she watched him unnoticed.

He was so handsome.

She found herself beginning to wonder what happened to Natuski's mother... Who would ever leave this man? This man with his boyish face and charming smile? His sunshine skin and hair? His amazing eyes...?

Long dark hair brushed across milky white skin as Hinata tilted her head slightly. Perhaps he had a bad side?

She couldn't imagine it. He looked so happy and gentle. An angry look on this person's face seemed impossible. No negative imagine she could conjure fitted Uzumaki Naruto...

She could help looking at him as they sat there together, and she knew she wouldn't be able to help herself from looking at him every time he came in, or help herself from thinking about him; this single father. But she'd most definitely keep her fascinations quietly to herself so it would be alright.

This idea eased her embarrassment slightly.

She'd stay quiet and nothing would come of it so it would be fine. In the adult world, "quiet" was her middle name. There was no way that a man like Naruto could fall for someone like Hinata anyway.

_Scratch!_

Naruto finished signing his name and handed over the form, getting to his feet. Hinata filed the paper away and then stood too. She already wanted to take it back out and look at his handwriting. Was that obsessive? She shivered.

They made their way back down the hallway and stood together in the entrance to the room where all the children were playing. Natsuki seemed to have settled in well and was playing with blocks along two other girls.

"Is it ok just to go now? I've never done this sort of thing before but I've got some things to do, groceries and all that good stuff," Naruto said with yet another dazzling smile thrown carelessly in Hinata's direction, unaware of how each one nearly knocked all the air from her chest. "She looks like she doesn't need me; I don't wanna break up her fun by going in there..." His blue eyes were fond and full of adoration. Naruto obviously was another father whose daughter had her daddy wrapped tight around her little finger already. Hinata laughed softly. That was one of the things she loved the most about being a kindergarten teacher; seeing the incredible bond between parent and child. Daddies and their daughters were the most beautiful she always thought.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll look after her all day until three." Hinata congratulated herself on not stuttering, working hard on keeping composed in front of him.

"Ok that's cool," Naruto replied as he waved at Natsuki who didn't look up.

"See you then, Hinata sensei!" he called and headed for the door, ignoring what she had said about the way he addressed her. She saw him pull a blue notepad paper from his pocket as he did.

A shopping list.

Hinata blushed after the man's departing back before walking back into the play room and clapping her hands to bring everyone's attention to her. Somehow, she had no problem with her confidence around children.

"Good morning children," she called in a sing-song voice smiling at all their big child eyes and warm, welcoming smiles. They saw no evil and didn't know any hardship. They were pure and untainted by adult affairs and being with them and doing something for them made Hinata feel pure too. She felt good about herself, needed. And that was something special.

"Good morning Hinata sensei," the children called back, Natsuki included who looked extra enthusiastic. Again Hinata smiled.

The day had had an interesting beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

_Yo! Chapter two is here. It took me soooo long to get over my lazy but finally I got around to it!~ Hinata is so cute, I love her lots and I'm glad to be writing this so I hope you reader-tachi like it too!_

_Enjoy~~_

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The day went as per normal. Natsuki was a real social butterfly and the other kids loved her right away. She had easily befriended two of the other girls of the small group of children that came to the kindergarten and played happily all day. The oldest child, Touya, who fancied himself as somewhat of a leader of the boys group, had even let her play tag with them when they all went outside to play near the end of the day. She fit right in with everyone. Right now, she, Touya and three other boys were lying on the grass on the far side of the yard with their eyes closed and their faces all dappled pink from running and laughing. Hinata watched them fondly as she sat on the edge of the sand pit with two of the girls, her jeans rolled up and her bare feet buried in the sand. Erika and Momoka were pushing their little hands down as far as they could which presently, was up to their elbows.

It was nearing the end of the day; very close to three o'clock Hinata thought. She was yet to air out the futons that the children had napped on and water the flowers that ran along the length of the short brick fence out the front of the kindergarten. Then there was cleaning up...

The sun was warm.

Maybe later.

Slowly, parents were beginning to trail in through the gates, met by their children who came skipping to their mummy or daddy and hugging them around their legs, already babbling excitedly about the events of the day. Hinata stayed seated knowing that none of the parents expected to her to get up and come and talk because mostly the children who attended her kindergarten had done so for quite some time and if they had something to discuss they would come over themselves. Either they that or they were rushing and had to be on their way quickly. Hinata waved at each one and smiled at the children as they called, "Bye bye Hinata sensei!"

Naruto was the next parent to come. He stood looking slightly lost at the gates, casting around for his daughter. Hinata wondered if she should get up.

"Daddy!" shrieked Natuski, jumping up from her grassy spot and flying across the yard straight at her father whose face lit up in one of his dazzling smiles and bent his knees to receive her. Natsuki didn't slow for one second and when she came close enough, Naruto caught her under the arms and pulled her into his arms, her legs flying out on contact from the speed of her approach. The tiny girl giggled wildly in delight and Naruto snuggled his cheek into her curls and then covered her face in kisses. The sun warmly lit the scene and both of their eyes were closed into their smiles. Natsuki was as adorable and charming as her father. Hinata really couldn't do a thing. She was weak against him. Naruto let Natsuki kiss him softly on the lips, her little hands splayed on his whiskered cheeks. So cute and Hinata couldn't help but laugh as she got to her feet as she spotted one of the mothers standing by the fence waiting for her out of the corner of her eye.

Clearly Naruto had missed having his daughter around all day.

The woman at the fence spoke to Hinata about her son not coming in next week because they were going away but the teacher wasn't really paying attention. She knew it was very rude and she hoped the other female couldn't see the way her eyes kept skipping from side to side to watch Naruto from behind her big dark sunglasses.

A few high school boys walked past and the woman left, leaving Hinata free to gaze at the man at the gate, unable to leave the kindergarten because Natsuki was insisting on having her daddy meet all of her new friends.

As she watched, one of the high school boys from a moment before stopped to tap Naruto on the shoulder, letting his friends go ahead and Hinata was graced with a completely new side of Uzumaki Naruto. His handsome features twisted into a confident smirk as the two males bumped fists and Naruto puffed out his chest slightly as the two began to interact.

The student was shorter than Naruto with raggy brown hair and two triangle strips of red, painted Hinata assumed, on his cheeks. His smile was crooked and sarcastic. The uniform shirt he wore was untucked and his top two buttons popped open, the collar unpressed. The boy moved his arms to swing a pretend bat to demonstrate something and Naruto nodded as he picked Natsuki back up, holding her carefully in the crook of one arm.

In an instant both male's faces softened and Hinata watched Naruto introduce Natsuki to the boy. Bending to look into Natsuki's face, the boy smiled widely and spoke gently to the little girl who nodded and took his three fingers when he offered his hand for her to shake. Naruto used his free hands to half jokingly punch the boy in the face when he muttered something with a mocking face. He backed away a step and a half with his hands up showing his palms looking half apologetic and half teasing. Naruto was frowning but lightened up after a moment and clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder before turning to wave at Hinata who blushed and waved shyly back, and left with Natsuki waving over his shoulder. Hinata lowered her hand, replaying Naruto's smile as he waved at her in her mind. It was so warm and he had looked right at her...

But it was useless being hopeful wasn't it...

The high school student remained, his eyes on Hinata. And then he started walking down the footpath towards her and she wasn't quite sure what she should do. There were other children left to look after and play with but with the boy walking toward her she couldn't very well leave when he was looking right at her. So she stood and nervously fingered the pocket of her apron.

"Hiya," he said casually and now that he was close Hinata could see that he didn't look half as young as he had standing with Naruto. He wasn't a boy, but a man and looked a bit too old for high school. He was tall, but not as tall as Naruto but she would still have to lift her chin to look at him, which she didn't. His eyes were narrow and twinkled mischievously. Hinata raised her soft purple eyes to him through her fringe when he called to her, her gaze running around the edges of the markings on his face and finding no shaky lines or paintbrush strokes. Not painted?

"Hey," he said.

"Hello," she replied.

"I'm Inuzuka Kiba," he said. Hinata introduced herself too giving him a strange look.

Just randomly talking to strangers? The boy seemed a little over friendly but she didn't know whether she should be wary or not.

"I know who you are Hinata sempai, or Hinata sensei I guess it is now," replied Kiba and Hinata's eyes widened and she did lift her face to him this time.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I-I." She had no idea who he was. She flushed, embarrassed by her stuttering but he just laughed.

"We went to the same school but I know you don't know who I am. Kinda kept to yourself I remember. But we've never spoken before, I just sorta know you by name. And by face I guess," said Kiba, shifting his weight to his other leg. Hinata just stood with her mouth open but no words forming.

"You were second year when I started high school," he added helpfully. Hinata did the math and looked to him questioningly.

"Then you should be finished. I've been finished two years this year. I'm 20 and you should be 19..." she said, falling into the conversation's pace.

"Yeah but I uhh..." This time it was Kiba's turn to blush. "I failed my last year so I'm repeating this year..."

"Oh..." Hinata stood back.

So he was a rebel. A rebel might be dangerous to the children...

Kiba lifted his hands defensively and showed her his palms just as he had with Naruto.

"Hey, hey, I'm not a bad guy, I'm just not that focused. I'm doing it right this year, for real Hinata sempai."

"That's good I guess," Hinata murmured smiling a little, still a bit unsure why the boy was being so friendly but not really feeling uncomfortable. He seemed nice enough.

"So...How come you're only one year older than me and you're running a kindy all on your lonesome?" asked Kiba. The woman blinked.

"Oh um, my family owns this place and my mother used to look after it but she got sick and passed away last year so I um... took over." Explained Hinata, feeling a pang of sadness in her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Its alright, I'm doing fine."

Awkward.

"So, how do you know Uzumaki san," ventured Hinata, proud of herself for being the one to change the atmosphere. Kiba smiled knowingly at her and she blushed under his sharp eyes, feeling her lips tremble even though she wasn't about to speak.

"We played baseball together when I was a first year and he was a second so we got to know each other pretty well." Hinata nearly passed out.

Naruto had gone to Konoha High? And she had never come across him? How? Wait! Second year? Hinata's year? He was only 20? He sure hadn't waited long to start a family... Highschool sweetheart?

Kiba read her surprise.

"Like I said, you kept to yourself." He grinned. Hinata flushed.

"Oh... Mmm I suppose I did..."

"You're pretty much heads and heels for Naruto sempai aren't you?" asked Kiba abruptly.

Hinata's breath hitched. "What, no I... I'm not I just...!" she stumbled and once again Kiba laughed, his tone a little mocking but not malicious. He was amused.

"You've got it pretty bad; you go bright red whenever I say anything about him."

"I don't..." protested Hinata feebly.

"You so do, I probably don't even have to say 'Naruto', just 'Uzumaki' or like, 'orange' will do it." Hinata's face grew red as Kiba teased her, tucking her chin in and looking up at him with an embarrassed pout on her beet red face. There was a silence and suddenly Hinata was aware that all the other children had gone home in the last few minutes without her noticing.

"That's kind of miserable, liking him," said Kiba not looking at her, his gaze across to where he and Naruto had stood at the gate. Hinata looked too.

"Yeah."

"So you know then..." the boy asked, trailing off. Hinata knew that he was awkward about finishing the sentence with something like "that he's not over his wife". He was a single father, Hinata knew because he did more than just dropping Natsuki off. He did the shopping and he was overflowing with love enough to come from at least two people for his little girl. But he must have made Natsuki, so beautiful and bright with someone he loved so much. That kind of incomprehensible love...

"Yes," she replied. She felt Kiba's eyes on her.

"You can't help it though right?" Hinata felt uncomfortable.

"Mmmm..."

Silence.

"I have to go home," said Kiba after a minute.

"Y-yes I suppose you should."

"I'll see you tomorrow I guess. I walk this way you know."

"Goodbye Inuzuka kun," said Hinata with a small smile that was returned with a wolfish grin and a, "Kiba is fine, Hinata sempai."

He adjusted his bag and was on his way. Hinata went in to air the futons, her head already full of Naruto as soon as she was alone with herself.

Useless right?


	3. Chapter 3

_Mock Exams are eating my face. The boredom of sitting through three hours with your exam shut. Not fun. I'll tell you right now._

_But amazement! I'm done with chapter 3! This story is pretty much fluff and yet the majority of this chapter was written listening to UVERworld. Interesting._

_Anyways! Enjoy~~ I'm off to study/stare at my notes.__R&R? Me love you lots?_

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Hinata wasn't sure she would ever get over seeing Naruto come walking through her door every morning. Although it seemed that the man had already become accustomed to the routine of kindergarten life after just one day. He looked much more comfortable and certain as he stood in the entrance with a dozing Natsuki cuddled under his chin.

"She's not exactly a morning person," said Naruto with a quiet laugh as he handed Natsuki's soft, sleepy body over to Hinata, his own body coming very close to the teacher's as he did so. Hinata drew a long breath involuntarily, taking in Naruto's scent that she wasn't sure smelt like honeysuckle by itself or if it was Natsuki's child smell lingering on her father. Either way he smelled fantastic.

"M-most children aren't," replied Hinata in a nervous whisper.

"She'll wake up once you put her down with that Touya or whatever, she's been talking about how much he jabbers since we got home yesterday," Naruto said with a grin and stepped half a step back, still close enough to bend down and kiss Natsuki in Hinata's arms on the forehead and brush her soft curls of her forehead. He didn't draw back any further after and looked at Hinata from that proximity. She willed herself not to have so much blood rush to her face that she passed out. He blinked and she blinked twice. Was he really only 20? Hinata guessed Natsuki was about three. Surely Naruto hadn't started family life straight after high school life... It was a mystery that she was much too shy to ask about to solve. It was Naruto's business after all...

"I'll be on my merry way then. Not sure what I'm gonna do, but something," said Naruto, bringing Hinata out of her staring that she hoped the man hadn't noticed.

"O-ok. I-I'll see you at three."

"Alright. See you then Hinata sensei!"

And just like that the morning routine was over and he was gone until three o'clock. Somehow she had expected him to hang around a bit longer but of course that was just wishful thinking on her part.

She bumped Natsuki up in her arms and then walked into the play room where five other sleepy children were curled up on a gathering of bean bags in the warm morning light. Hinata set Natsuki down next to Satsuki and the two girls moved in their half sleep to curl into each other and then settled with a shared sigh. Hinata padded out of the room and slipped her shoes on, leaving the children to wake in their own time while she swept outside and waited for more parents and their own sleepy children.

...

Hinata and the children spent the first part of the day going over, for those who already had some sort of early education, and learning numbers and painting pictures that Shuusuke, sitting atop Hinata's shoulders, hung on the piece of wire that ran all the way across the room.

Touya painted himself, Saito, Kiku, Satoshi and Natsuki all lying with one jointed-starfished limbs on a background of messy green paint. Natsuki painted herself, Naruto (Hinata could tell from the thick streaks of black that the girl put on the blonde person's misformed face) and another two "people". One with a mess of black hair who was taller than her father and another person that Hinata assumed was a woman because she wore pink and had pink hair, who was shorter than both Naruto and the unidentified black haired person. And then Natsuki took another piece of paper and painted her friends and then Hinata herself as well; a tall person standing next who Hinata guessed was Satsuki with long blue hair and light blue eyes because Natsuki didn't know how to make purple and pouted stubbornly when her teacher offered to show her. Hinata helped her stick the two papers together with cellotape and promised Natsuki she could take it home at the end of the day.

Story time was next and Hinata let Kazuhisa choose the book. It was silent as she read with all the pairs of big eyes watching the pictures closely and giggling cutely at the funny parts. Story time was one of Hinata's favourite times.

The children then had their nap and Hinata went through the normal process of trying to convince everyone that they were all tired and wanted to sleep. Eventually, the futons came out and four small baby bodies snuggled into each one sideways. Hinata went and made cookies for lunch in the small kitchen down the hall after she cleaned up the paints.

When the class awoke Hinata lifted the tables and carried them back to the middle of the floor. Momoka and Nana ran circles around her feet as she did. Then they had lunch. Some children bought their own with them but some didn't so Hinata made sandwiches and brought out cookies she had baked as well as paper cups for a half cupful of milk. Those who were using the cups Hinata had to watch because almost everyone was still a little uncertain with items used for drinking that didn't have a lid.

Near the end of the day they went outside. Hinata always liked to have the children outside for the last part of the day because that way they could run around and scream and shout as much as they wanted, tiring themselves out so when their parents came to pick them up they would be worn out and not so noisy at home for parents who worked the whole day and needed a break.

But there was only really one parent that Hinata was keeping an eye out for.

And there he was, strutting in with a big smile and spotting Natsuki immediately as she came running over, babbled for a moment and then racing back to Hinata asking for her picture that Hinata happily retrieved and used as an excuse to come over and talk to Naruto.

"H-how was your day Uzumaki san..." she ventured bravely. Naruto kept his eyes on the picture Hinata had handed him and replied, "Remarkably unexciting. I actually did nothing of any worth. I'm thinkin' about getting a part time job, at a ramen place or something. Ichiraku." Hinata nodded and played with her fingers.

"I like that place. It makes good ramen." This time Naruto lowered the picture to look at her, his blue eyes alight and his smile wide.

"Doesn't it? I looooove ramen. It's the best thing in the world!" he enthused.

"I thought_ I _was the best thing in the world!" called Natsuki from her father's knee and Naruto laughed, reaching for her and swinging her into his arms.

"You are Bub, you are. Me and Hinata sensei were talking about food, that's all. You know you're my number one." Natsuki giggled.

"I love Daddy the most too." Naruto leaned in teasingly and waggled a finger at her.

"Don't let _you know who_ hear you say that Natsuki." Hinata blinked.

'_You know who...' _Images of Natsuki's messy paintings of the pink haired female and the black haired person flashed into Hinata's mind.

She opened her mouth and then closed it.

None of your business Hinata. None of your business Hinata. None of your business Hinata.

The man's summer sky eyes drifted over Hinata's shoulder and he grinned and waved.

"Look, its Kiba, Natsuki. Remember him? He's the boy that Daddy bullied yesterday," said Naruto pulling a face and poking his tongue. Hinata turned to see Kiba wheeling a bike along the footpath. He raised an arm in greeting and Hinata waved shyly, her eyes skirting to the side.

It was embarrassing to be seen talking to Naruto when Kiba knew...

"Hey you guys," said Kiba when he was close enough.

"Hello Inuzuka kun."

"It's Kiba."

"Hey kid."

"Naruto sempai."

"Yo!"

A laugh.

"Hi Natsuki. Learn that one from your rebel Daddy?"

Hinata opened her mouth to say something but Kiba continued, addressing both the school teacher and the man who stood next to her.

"So I have this game comin' up and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come watch Konoha play..." Hinata felt Naruto's interest spike the atmosphere. Hinata wasn't so sure. She'd only met the boy just yesterday but... He was so... She didn't know. It just seemed like it was easy to trust him. Hinata hoped dearly that that wasn't fake because Kiba seemed like such a nice man.

"I'd love to! I haven't been to a game in aaages," Naruto replied with a nod. "Are you going to come Hinata sensei? I'll bring Natsuki too. We'll make a date of it."

Hinata swooned but managed to stay on her feet. Kiba grinned knowingly at her as she attempted to get a response out after Naruto said that word and her name in relation to each other.

"Oh!" popped Naruto with a glance at his watch that Hinata saw coincidentally had a naruto fishcake face. "I gotta go," he said lifting his eyebrows as he rechecked the time.

"Give me the details when I see you tomorrow Kiba ok? See ya Hinata sensei!"

Hinata was still in shock. Kiba was humming mockingly as he waved to Natsuki.

"Geezum Hinata sempai, you're so hopeless. You take everything to heart and think about it 500 million times over till you're so red you can't breathe don't you?" said Kiba, bending to look into her face that she could feel her pulse in like her heart was right there under her cheeks. She couldn't even muster the words to tell Kiba how much whatever he just said didn't make sense to her.

Kiba waited till her brain stopped going in fast forward and she remembered that she had opened her mouth several times while Naruto had been there but not asked what she wanted to. Perhaps Kiba could tell her.

"Inuzuka kun..."

"It's Kiba."

"W-what did you mean when you called Uzumaki san a 'rebel'?" She asked timidly. Kiba raised his eyebrows under his raggedy brown fringe that nearly flopped over his dark eyes before he laughed huskily into the warm air, tipping his chin back.

"You really were out of the loop weren't you? I heard he started raising hell from day one! Surprised it didn't reach your home room." Hinata blinked as she waited for him to go on. Already she knew he would. He was the talkative type.

"He beat people up for lookin' at him funny, skipped class, was "disruptive" when actually came to lessons... The whole shebang." Kiba sniffed and lifted his eyes to the sky thoughtfully. "Sorta settled down after he joined the baseball club though. He was real reckless his first six weeks or so. After he got under Sasuke sempai's thumb he was much easier to handle. If he wasn't Sasuke sempai just beat him up."

"Sasuke sempai...?" questioned Hinata. Once again Kiba sighed at her lack of highschool life, names and general activity.

"Uchiha Sasuke. He was our catcher and Naruto sempai was our pitcher. Sasuke sempai was Naruto's biggest rival," he said with a nostalgic smile. "But you could tell they were actually best friends too. You'd see them kicking the shiiiii-" Kiba glanced at the children and parents in the yard. "Shiz," he said catching himself. "Outta each other but then when I had detentions upstairs I saw them fighting and laughing over an umbrella, pushing each other around like buddies as they left school in the rain this one time and Naruto was the only one that that jerk Uchiha would give a smile to."

Hinata was amazed. Trying to imagine Naruto's face slightly rounder, his bright t shirts replace by a school uniform and then his mop of sunny hair covered by a baseball hat, his arms pulled back as he pitched... He must have been dazzling... And imagining him playing in the rain with 'Uchiha Sasuke'. It was strange enough to see the interaction he had with Kiba in contrast to his Daddy antics with Natsuki, but to think of him with a best friend. So strange. Interesting.

"What's it like to play with him?" asked Hinata, her hands clamped together and pressing against her stomach in anticipation. She had never had any interest in baseball but now that she knew Naruto had played...

"Naruto sempai?"

Hinata nodded.

"Well he's one hell of a pitcher but he's gotta be told how to do it. Surprised he remembered all the signs they had set up for his pitching actually... Anyway, he needs a smart catcher and a strong one because Naruto sempai's pitches are so hard they'd rip your hands off. I wouldn't want to take a swing at them. Scary. But Sasuke sempai is tough and smart so they were a perfect battery. Plus he was the only one Naruto liked enough to take orders about how to use his own body from. When we won, he was amazing to play with. When we lost, ya know how he's always so happy? Not so much. But when we won. Good times."

Hinata's mind was running wild. She was too caught up to even feel bad that she was neglecting her goodbye routine with the children or for talking so much about baseball and not asking Kiba anything about his own team or position. But.

Naruto in a baseball uniform.

Naruto with a winning smile exploding onto his tanned skinned face.

Naruto's face tense with concentration, his eyes on the shadowy, no face character of Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto.

Naruto.

Naruto.

"Hinata sempai?" The young woman jumped when he called her.

Y-yes!"

"I gotta go now. And I won't see you for a while because my coach is starting afterschool and before school practices to get ready for the game so tell Naruto that the game is this weekend at 11 ok?"

"O-ok Inuzuka kun."

"It's Kiba." Hinata ignored him and watched as he lifted one long leg over the seat of his bike.

"Oh! Inuzuka kun! Do...Do you know a woman with pink hair by any chance?" Hinata called as he pushed off and brushed past her. Kiba looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah! Haruno Sakura,she was your year!" He called back.

The air left Hinata's chest.

_Haruno Sakura... _


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm so angry right now. I can't find a SasuNaru fic I really like. No idea what it's called, no idea who the author is but I am utterly perplexed as to why it is not on my favourites list. Gutted._

_Anyway, shortish chapter (its so mini and cute x3) but what are you gonna do? Exams are gaytarded._

_Baseball game coming up next chapter :]_

* * *

The days without Kiba proved much harder than Hinata had ever imagined. Naruto came and went, dropping off Natsuki and picking her up, never staying long. Once or twice Hinata tried to engage Naruto in conversation and offered him tea but he always insisted that he wouldn't want to be a bother or he had something to do. Hinata didn't try too hard because she could feel some of the mothers' eyes on her at the end of the day, keenly honing in on the interaction between the young kindergarten teacher and the almost equally young single father. It was frustrating that he wouldn't stay; she wanted to ask him whether he got a job yet, what he had done all day, where he would look for work if Ichiraku wasn't hiring. And 'Haruno Sakura' was still playing on Hinata's mind. With Kiba at afterschool practices there was no one to talk to because no one else knew.

As far as Hinata could gather, Naruto was a single dad but she still didn't know what had happened to his wife. She assumed something had happened because, a) she'd never seen a woman come to pick Natsuki up, b) Naruto never said "we" when he spoke about what he was up to unless it included Natsuki and c) the way Kiba had said "so you know..." that first time that he and Hinata met said it all.

Hinata didn't know but she assumed. It wasn't her place to snoop.

But still she wondered, what had happened?

And who was 'Haruno Sakura' from her own high school year?

She had been so out of the loop.

Kiba's tone as he called the name over his shoulder was like he was just telling Hinata the name, no implications. You wouldn't call someone's name that loudly or casually if it were linked to _"so you know"._ 'Haruno Sakura' was not dead and had not betrayed Naruto and run of with someone else so she was not and never had been Naruto's wife? Perhaps she was just someone who came over a lot that Natsuki was fond enough of to paint into her picture of what she told Hinata was her "precious people". Depending on how long Natsuki had not had a mother; it very well could be that Haruno Sakura had helped Naruto out a lot with his young child.

But still, Hinata wasn't sure about this living, not-married-to-Naruto woman. Actually, what she might be... but she wasn't sure because she could not recall ever feeling it... was jealous. Or something. The matter niggled at her and wouldn't leave her alone.

So without Kiba, who was chatty and easy to talk to, to tell her whatever she wanted without thinking she was nosy and always smiling at her blushing curiosity, Hinata went to Natsuki.

"Natsuki chan?" The girl lifted her clear green-blue blend eyes to Hinata who was sitting back on her haunches to become level with the child sitting at the big table with a pink crayon in her pudgy hands.

"You know that picture you painted of your precious people? With all your friends and your daddy?" asked Hinata with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Who was it in that picture, Honey? Can you tell me?" Natsuki turned in her seat and put up her fingers, ticking off the people as she listed like Hinata had seen Naruto do when he took enough time to chat a little and was listing something.

"Me, kindy friends, Daddy, Hinata sensei and Sakura." Bing bong. That's what Hinata wanted. She felt slightly uncomfortable at prying with a child but, she had to know...

"Really? Who is Sakura,Natsuki?" The child's face bloomed into a full face smile.

"She's Daddy's friend. She's _really_ pretty!" she giggled, lifting her small arms to show Hinata how pretty Sakura was. Lowering her arms Natsuki looked up at Hinata, her eyes gazing over Hinata's fair skin, soft purple eyes and even blue fringe thoughtfully. "But I think Sensei is prettier than Sakura. And I like your long hair Sensei," the girl said and Hinata blinked, blushing in front of a child for what she thought was probably the first time.

"Thank you Natsuki, you're very pretty too." The child beamed and flushed a healthy pink.

"Is Daddy pretty too? I heard him, I heard that say Daddy is bootiful," burbled Natsuki, skipping around correct language and Hinata blushed harder as Naruto's face came to mind.

"Yes, your Daddy is pretty too," replied Hinata with a tiny smile.

"That's good!" said Natsuki and went back to her colouring.

Just friends.

Just friends; Naruto and Haruno Sakura.

Just friends, it seemed.

...

Home time came all too soon and soon enough all the children had gone back. Naruto was late and rushed in, snatching Natsuki up into his arms and thanking Hinata before rushing off, only giving Hinata enough time to tell him about the time of the game that she had forgotten about until today. He said he would talk about it tomorrow and was gone.

Hinata couldn't wait for after the baseball game and Kiba could come to visit again. Not just to talk but because with Kiba, came the Naruto who had time to talk. He always stopped to talk to Kiba. Hinata supposed that was just how it was with boys. Or if Naruto really thought she was busy and didn't want to distract her, he probably felt ok about it if there was both him and Kiba to share the blame. In any case, she wanted Naruto to stay. Kiba could help. She wanted Kiba. But then she started to feel guilty about the way it seemed like she was using Kiba. In a way, she was but that didn't mean she didn't like him. They had become fast friends and he felt very safe to her which Hinata liked. He really was only rough on the outside. He was very nice to her and didn't think she was stupid for her fruitless fascination with his sempai or her oblivious questions.

She couldn't wait to see him play too. To see Kiba doing something he loved. She might even be brave enough to yell encouragement at him too. She was happy she was invited, even happier that Naruto was invited too but she decided that she would try and concentrate on Kiba more that day. Maybe Naruto would explain to her how the game worked...

Try.

...

When Naruto came in the next morning, a sunny morninged Friday, he stopped for coffee while the children played bleary eyed or slept in the sun.

"So do you want to meet at the game and go in together?" asked Naruto, sipping his sugar and cream with a hint of coffee. Hinata had tea and wondered how he could handle that much sweetness.

"T-that sounds good. D-do you think I will need anything?" she replied, her lip over the edge of her cup.

"Nah, or maybe an umbrella if it's forecast for rain because games go for a while you know," said Naruto leaning back in his chair. "I'm really looking forward to this. Gonna bring back some memories back I think. I wish Sasuke could come too," he continued, an eager smile tugging at his lips.

"W-why can't he come?" asked Hinata, thinking as soon as she said that Naruto would wonder how she knew who Sasuke was but he didn't seem to notice.

"He works all the time now. The bastard," muttered Naruto darkly and Hinata blinked, surprised by the momentary change in mood and put down her tea but didn't say anything. Naruto downed the rest of his coffee, admirably braving the heat of the beverage before getting to his feet and flashing Hinata a dazzling smile, reverting back to his warm, bright eyed self.

"I'm off, thanks for the coffee," he said as he pushed his chair in. Hinata stood too.

"That's alright."

"I'll see you later. I'm finally gonna go ask at Ichiraku's for a job today. Wish me luck yeah?" Naruto said grinning and winking at Hinata at the door way on his way out. She struggled to stay upright.

"Luck..." she murmured into the empty room.


	5. Chapter 5

_Warning: Baseball drabble. Naruto's too passionate for his own good XD Sorry this took approximately 5 years. I blame Macbeth essays. The only thing I can think about when it comes to people having internal conflicts is Sasuke and how he should have fought harder against his "dark and deep desires" and stayed in Konoha. Possibly found a creative outlet. Jerk._

_Enjoy if you can~  
_

* * *

The day of the game dawned bright and sunny. Hinata stood in front of her mirror in her dark blue jeans and bra, holding two shirts against herself with trembling hands as she thought of the occasion.

A date of sorts.

She shook her head.

No, she was just going together with Naruto and Natsuki to support their friend Kiba. That's right. That's all. And Natsuki would be there too so...

What had Naruto been up to lately... Hinata shook her head again. Stop that. To her it was Kiba's day. But it was hard. Hard to not think about Naruto.

Settling on the baby blue shirt, Hinata pulled it on and paced to her wardrobe.

Would she need a hat? She did burn easily with her fair skin... There was always sunblock... But she hated the feel of it on her face and the smell had always been strange to her since she was a child...

She decided on her white wide brim sunhat with the pink ribbon. Was that too much? But she didn't suit caps with her hair down... Tie it up? Not really her style. Did she even own a cap anyway?

Wide brim it was.

Which bag... Which bag... Did she need a bag? Would they need lunch? Would Naruto have thought of that through the excitement of the day? The adults were different but Natsuki couldn't go without lunch. She was a growing girl. And what about water? Did Natsuki have a sunhat? Sunblock? Did Naruto? Even with that sunkissed skin of his, it could still burn...

Hinata continued to fuss as she walked to the kitchen of her small apartment, deciding that she would make some sandwiches. Even if Natsuki only ate them that would be fine. Her mind was full and she was in a bit of a state.

Do I need to go to the kindergarten today?

Is there anything that needs doing over there? I'll worry about it if there is...

Futons? No I did that.

Cleaning? There wasn't much mess this week at all actually...

Gardening? Tanaka san next door always waters for me on the weekend.

Everything seemed to be in order.

It was 10:30am Saturday and only a short walk to the baseball park. Hinata sat down at her table and rested her chin on her palm, breathing in deeply. The room smelled vaguely of tea. She hummed to pass the time. That song that Naruto and Natsuki had been singing as they came in on... Thursday was it? She didn't know the words but the tune had been stuck in her head ever since. Maybe it was because it was the first time she heard Naruto's singing voice. He was of course not singing seriously, just belting out the words in time with Natsuki's cheery sing songing but all the same it had been a bit amazing.

Time to go.

...

Naruto and Natsuki were early and Hinata spotted Naruto's orange t-shirt from afar. She weaved quickly through the crowds of mothers and kids wearing their uniforms to show which school they were supporting.

"Hey!" said Naruto when she came into sight. Natsuki rushed forward and took two of Hinata's fingers in her hand, dragging her forward.

"It's starting Hinata sensei! It's starting! Let's go watch Kiba!" Naruto smiled at Hinata and Hinata blushed back as Natsuki took Naruto's fingers too and led them in.

...

"Where should we sit Uzumaki san?" asked Hinata, looking this way and that, people filing in all around them.

"Hmmm... Well I think up this end because you wanna be able to see the whole game from the top where the catcher is right? Come this way Hinata sensei, don't get lost ok," replied Naruto taking her wrist and making Hinata nearly trip. She stuttered and blushed and dizzied all the way to the seat that Naruto had chosen for them and took a moment to regain some part of her composure before sitting, scared that if she tried she might faint as she sat and end up sprawled out on the step behind her. Once she finally did she ended up sitting next to Natsuki who sat between the two adults.

Before her, the baseball field spread out dusty ground and neat grass. The players for one team were standing in their positions in the open, throwing a ball between them. The other team was sitting on benches off to the side in an area that was tucked under the lip of the other side of the grounds. Hinata assumed that the other teams place to sit was somewhere beneath her too.

"There's Kiba." Naruto broke her thoughts and Hinata looked up to where the man was pointing. Out on the third base was Kiba wearing a white cap and uniform. She breathed in when he turned and scanned the team's supporters and his eyes came to rest on her, Natsuki and Naruto. He waved. In reply, Naruto gave him the thumbs up; Natsuki yelled his name and Hinata waved back, pathetically shy.

So much for shouting some encouragement...

A loud voice came over the loud speaker making Hinata jump and yelp and Naruto laugh, announcing that the game should now begin. The players signaled they were ready and the pitcher moved up to the plate.

"Let's see what the pitchers got," muttered Naruto under his breath. Hinata turned to look at Naruto's face that was alive and bright with a determined furrow of his features, a smile stretching across his lips.

"What's a pitcha?" asked Natsuki, tugging on her father's sleeve. Naruto's face immediately softened and he laughed, rubbing his head.

"Ah.. both of you don't really know how this works right?" Hinata tried to decide whether she liked that Naruto could read her and her lack of baseball knowledge or if she didn't like how he assumed she was clueless. Which she was.

"Ok." Naruto leant towards them and pointed to the boy at the pitchers plate with the mop of straight, shiny black hair. When he turned to lift his leg, he revealed his firm frown, huge dark eyes and what Hinata could only describe as "spectacular" thick eyebrows.

"That's Rock Lee. A second year. He's the pitcher which is what I played. Its pretty obvious what he does right". Natsuki and Hinata both "un"ed in response. Naruto's finger moved to the boy knelt at the top of the dusty diamond with a caged mask in front of his features. He was looking straight at his pitcher.

"Otsuka Yuu- second year too, if my memory serves," said Naruto. "He's the catcher. That's what Sasuke was on my team. Otsuka may not look to smart..." Hinata couldn't tell with the mask on. "But he's a solid catcher from what I know, plus..." The finger moved to a pale, dark haired boy who was standing against the caging around the grounds, a little bit down from where Hinata and Naruto were sitting. "..He has this guy, Sai, to give him directions. The guy's a bit delicate for the game but he's hella smart so he helps out with setups and stuff. Nara Shikamaru did it for my team, too lazy to actually play. Just a sec, you'll see it in a minute." The second time Rock Lee pitched, Hinata watched Sai make a few hand signs at the catcher before she heard the _thwack!_ of mitt connecting with ball. Her eyes followed Naruto's finger back to the field.

"First, second and third base are Sarutobi Konohamaru-first year, Akimichi Chouji-third year and Kiba- third year... again. Konohamaru bats fourth, he's the cleanup and Kiba still bats fifth."

Hinata blinked as she looked over Konohamaru's small stature where he stood positioned at first base. His face and features were small and he looked much younger than the rest of the team.

"U-Uzumaki san... How is it that you know everyone's names when everyone but Kiba wasn't at school when you were..." asked Hinata, lifting her voice over the yells of the crowd as the other team made second base.

"Well I already knew Kiba and I used to live in the same apartment block as Konohamaru when I was young, everyone else... Well, it's not like I could completely stay away from the baseball scene, Hinata sensei," he told her with a wink.

"O-oh... I see."

"Short stop: Inoue Sota, Right, left and centre fielders: Fujimori Juushiro, Souma Takasu and Soutome Yuuichi." Naruto finished the list quickly and fell back into the game, muttering under his breath, completely absorbed. Hinata watched his face for a moment before Natsuki, seemingly knowing not to interrupt her father, crawled onto Hinata's lap to get a better view and began cheering loudly. Hinata smiled and gaining a little confidence, cheered too.

"Ko-no-ha! Ko-no-ha!"

When it was Konoha's turn to bat Hinata leaned forward to watch more closely. Batting seemed like much more fun and more exciting to watch, but then again, that might be because she was waiting for Kiba to do something a bit more than just catching and throwing. She also thought that if it were a game where Naruto was doing the pitching, the fielding part would be the part she would want to see the most.

At Kiba's at bat Naruto leaned over, not taking his eyes off the game.

"Kiba bats 5th, he's bigger and has the strength to hit a full homerun. By sticking him in 5th it means that if the team is losing, he can get them up and if they are winning he can give them a lead."

"Why don't they put him right at the end then? If he's good at scoring points. Its fine if they're already winning so shouldn't they save him for last in case they are losing?" asked Hinata. Beside her, Naruto shook his head.

"Nah its all about the middle, Konohamaru's the cleanup at fourth because he's guaranteed to hit. He's really good at reading the pitches and can hit just about anything since all the kid does is baseball. But Kiba's not always gonna make contact but when he does its always big. Besides, Konohamaru, look at him he's small; he doesn't have the strength to be anywhere else. He's skill and Kiba is force. Understand?" Hinata felt small under his explanation. He knew so much more about this kind of thing... But he was taking the time to tell her. She was a bit happy.

"Y-yes, I understand."

For most of the rest of the game there was only cheering and outraged yelling. When Hinata felt Natsuki's belly rumble through her back she pulled out the box of sandwiches she had made. To her surprise, Naruto dragged his gaze away from the activities of the game to eat too, thanking her with a big smile that made his whiskered cheeks curve strangely.

Nearing the end of the baseball game it was clouding over and all the boys out on the grounds looked exhausted. Even Rock Lee who had been so energetic and strong at the beginning was standing with his hands on his thighs, breathing with his shoulders. At third, Kiba had taken off his hat to wipe his face. Hinata noticed that the bright red markings on his cheeks didn't smudge even with the sweat and dirt. Definitely not paint.

The game ended in an surge of Konoha high schoolers, mothers and Naruto screaming as Rock Lee, Otsuka Yuu and the rest of the team managed to keep Suna's score one behind and won the game. Natsuki, caught up in the excitement, leapt into Naruto's arms and Hinata laughed and clapped loudly, really glad she came.

On their way out, Naruto touched her shoulder and led her away down a different path towards the changing rooms.

"Wanna congratulate Kiba?" he asked with a grin and shaking the light rain that had started outside off his blonde tresses.

...

"Are you decent men? I have ladies with me!" called Naruto from outside the locker room. There was an eruption of laughter accompanied by a chorus of "Uzumaki!" and the sound of Kiba yelling for someone to get their pants on. Hinata blushed and giggled nervously as Naruto opened the door. The smell of sweat and deodorant assaulted Hinata's nose and she wrinkled it slightly as she followed Naruto who was immediately attacked with manly hugs and fist bumps, through the door. A little frightened, Hinata backed up but found a hand on her back stopping her from leaving. Kiba grinned down at her and laughed.

"They're not gonna eat you ya know. Look, even Natsuki chan is in there," the boy said and nodded at Natsuki who had been swept up into the arms of Konoha's centre Soutome Yuuichi and sitting happily with her head tucked up against his neck.

"Yuuchan loves Natsuki chan. Sometimes Naruto sempai comes to watch us practice and he brings her."

Naruto really hadn't stayed away from baseball.

"I see..."

"How'd you like the game?"

"Its was exciting, you were really good Inuzuka kun! I didn't know you could hit that good!" Hinata smiled up at him a little bit proud that she knew someone who played so amazingly and he blushed.

"There's a reason I was the only first year on Naruto sempai's team ya know..." he said, scratching his cheek and lifting his eyes to the roof momentarily.

"They don't usually take first years?"

"Never."

"What about Sarutobi kun then?" Hinata turned her eyes to the boy, shorter than all the rest who was standing talking eagerly to Naruto who was watching him with fond eyes and laughing softly.

"The kid's a genius," replied Kiba. Hinata "hmmm"ed.

"Will you still be having afterschool practices?" she asked quietly and he leaned down to hear her over the noise that bounced around the locker room.

"Nah, I don't think so." Hinata's heart skipped a beat and she involuntarily looked to Naruto.

"That's good."

"Miss me?"

"What! No I, um!" The sound of Kiba's throaty laughter sounded warm and familiar and put a stop to her loud babbling.

"It's ok Hinata sempai." She looked up at him.

"What is?"

"Whatever just went through your head."

"Eh?" Kiba just smiled and then stepped forward to join the other boys, slapping Naruto on the back as he muscled into the circle.

If only Kiba knew what went through her head.

She wasn't using him right? She had been honestly happy and genuinely proud to be there.

Hinata lowered her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_For __**Mi3staR **__who has been pestering me about Shino for quite some time. Hope he came out ok! ._

_Some people are asking about where the story is going but ya know its hard for me to understand that too since its my first AU and it's a real life situation. There's no ninjaness and not even half as much angst as I'm used to, just sort of distant longing and everyday life. But something shocking is bound to happen in such a quiet situation though right? ;P_

_Snuggly thankyou's to reviewers. Love review and pms :)  
_

_

* * *

_

Everything had fallen back into pace once Kiba went back to visiting. Naruto dropped Natsuki off, left to go to his part time job at Ichiraku that Hinata had finally gotten a chance to inquire about, Hinata spent the whole day with the children, playing and laughing and reading and sleeping and everything else that went with it. When the day was through generally five or six children left before Kiba showed up and she walked to the short fence to talk to him. Soon after Naruto usually arrived and came to join them. It had become somewhat of a routine fairly quickly after the baseball game. They spoke of Kiba's schoolwork, baseball, Naruto's Ichiraku's job that ran from nine til one daily, Natsuki, times when they all attended school after Kiba revealed that Hinata had too gone to Konoha High. Naruto often marveled at how they had never crossed paths.

Hinata was happy and proud that she could now speak almost comfortably with Naruto and only stuttered when he asked her something rather direct or when either he or Kiba pointed out something she had said was wrong or not quite true. However the blushing still happened just about every time she opened her mouth or when she found Naruto's eyes on her when she spoke. Even though Kiba was turned to listen too she hardly noticed. Most of the time Hinata tried not to think about how differently she treated Naruto and Kiba when they both treated her so similarly, which again served to remind her that Naruto had absolutely no idea how she felt...

Today when Hinata saw Kiba approach she assumed that only he would drop behind the group of highschool boys, some she recognized from the baseball team. But today one other boy stayed behind too. He was wearing small dark sunglasses that looked out of place with his school uniform and had not a mop, the hair didn't look soft to Hinata at all, but a mess of dark hair that stuck up and was held off his face by something like a headband. A bit scary looking actually. He was quiet and stood two steps behind Kiba as they came to a stop next to the fence. Hinata came over and Kiba jerked a thumb over his shoulder at his friend.

"This guy is Aburame Shino from my class. He's my bestfriend. He's helping me study for the mock exams we have coming up so he's here today too. I thought he might like it a bit here too so." Hinata raised her eyebrows at Kiba after carefully checking to make sure that 'Shino' wasn't watching her expressions. Although he might be behind those glasses... Kiba smiled at her and Hinata tried not to frown.

This boy, Aburame Shino didn't seem like the kind of person who anyone would think would enjoy a kindergarten environment... At all.

He seemed antisocial, standing off to the side in a way that didn't come off as shy, just like he didn't want to be spoken to. He didn't speak and didn't introduce himself, didn't ask for Hinata's name and didn't hang off Kiba like some of his other friends did when they paused with him when he said "go on ahead", to tease him. Aburame Shino just didn't seem friendly. How he was bestfriends with Kiba simply did not compute in the teacher's mind. Kiba who was bright and loud and outgoing. Who was constantly smiling and teasing with that wolfish grin of his. Friendly like a dog. But Shino... He felt like he almost didn't have an atmosphere or feel about him.

Then again, wasn't Naruto's best friend said to be 'a cold bastard'?

Kiba and Hinata began idle conversation while Shino just stood and shuffled his feet every now and then. Hinata watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"Your sunflowers are goin' well Hinata sensei," commented Kiba and Hinata blinked, looking down to the yellow flowers that had grown to the height of her navel.

"Soon we'll have to change rendezvous points or we won't be able to see each other," he laughed and she giggled softly.

At that moment, a blue butterfly flitted past, closely pursued by Natsuki, Momoka and Erika who stopped when the butterfly stopped on top of one of the sunflowers. The girls lifted onto their tip toes to see, talking loudly. Shino stepped forward and put one finger to his lips. Kiba was grinning at Hinata as she didn't even both to keep the surprise off of her face as Shino said in a hushed, deeper than expected voice to the girls, "Quiet now or you'll scare her away." The girls fell to silence as Shino came closer and despite his sort of scary appearance, the girls came closer to him to stand in front of him on their side of the fence (behind the sunflowers _in _the garden to Hinata's slight annoyance), their hands pressed against their bellies like if the touched anything they might make a noise and the butterfly would be off again.

"How do you know it's a girl?" asked Momoka in a whisper. Hinata stepped closer and Kiba leaned in over her shoulder. The air was tense.

"Girl ones," began Shino and Hinata smiled at the way he used "girl ones" rather than "female" that seemed to fit him better. "Have black around the outside of their wings. She's called a Holly Blue." With expressions somewhere between concentrated seriousness and childish amazement the three little girls nodded and watched the butterfly.

The yells and laughter of the other children faded away and all Hinata could hear was Kiba chuckle close to her, clearly amused by how Shino had changed so suddenly, and then tiny gasps from Natsuki, Momoka and Erika when Shino extended a finger and the pretty blue butterfly with tiny black specs on it's wings crawled slowly onto it. Shino lifted it away and brought a steady hand towards the girls who stood with their mouths open and eyes wide, so they could see it up close.

It was simply amazing to watch. The butterfly seemed perfectly happy to just sit. Maybe because Shino was so quiet. Maybe because of how Hinata felt like the boy had no atmosphere to him, oddly barely any presence; perhaps the butterfly simply didn't realize that he was a person and not a flower. In any case, it was amazing to watch.

"Hey guys!"

The butterfly up-ed and away-ed. Everyone groaned and turned their eyes to the voice that had scared the butterfly. The girls, even Natsuki looked thoroughly unimpressed. Hinata smiled sympathetically as Naruto took a stop back and blinked anxiously.

"What?"

"You scared the butterfly away Naruto sempai!" complained Kiba and Hinata stifled a laugh behind the back of her hand. That line sounded so funny coming from the man rather than the children.

"Yeah Daddy! The Holly Blue flutterby was on... on..." Natsuki frowned as she tried to put a name to Shino's face.

"Aburame san," offered Hinata.

"Aburame san's finger!" finished Natsuki, her pout no matter how hard she tried; only coming off as adorable.

"Oh sorry..." Naruto stepped forward to pick a sulking Natsuki up and then step back, clearly feeling like everyone was mad at him. Hinata kept smiling hoping he'd notice she wasn't angry.

"That was cool though Shino," said Kiba patting Shino on the back, moving the scene on. Shino said nothing and moved back to where he had been standing previously.

"He's not mad," Kiba assured Hinata and Naruto. "But we'd better go. I have _a lot_ of cramming to do." The boy rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Studying Kiba," corrected Shino from the background and Kiba laughed and turned to leave.

"See you!"

"Later, Kiba."

"Bye, Inuzuka kun"

This left Hinata and Naruto alone (with the exception of the children) for the first time in a while. Hinata quickly cast around for something to talk about, her eyes coming to rest on Yuiko sitting off to the side by herself. The girl looked pale and was wearing a surgical mask to keep the other children from her cold. Hinata hadn't wanted Yuiko to come in today because the mask wasn't entirely reliable and Yuiko was rather popular, always surrounded by other kids but her parents were separated and her mother had to work in the mornings so Hinata had taken her despite the girl's obvious sickness.

"Uzumaki san, I've been telling the other parents to look out for a cold that is going around. Yuiko chan has it so there might be a chance that someone else here got it too." Naruto blinked and looked over to Yuiko who coughed into her mask, with soft eyes. "So if Natsuki chan gets it please keep her at home for the sake of the other children," finished Hinata. She smiled despite the bleak topic since she had not even stuttered once. Probably because she was talking about children and because Naruto was looking at Yuiko and now had his ear pressed to Natsuki's chest and asking her to breathe in.

"A bit chesty I guess. I'll have to keep an eye on you Little Miss," he said after a minute of concentrated listening. He looked to Hinata and quirked a half smile.

"I'll keep her home if it gets any worse. My immune system is sometimes pretty unstable and she's got that too so best to catch it early before it gets bad, ne."

"Y-yes." Hinata took a long look at Naruto while he rearranged Natsuki into the crook of his arm, blushing as she took him in.

Naruto didn't look like the sort of person who ever got sick. He had good colour, healthy bright blue eyes, built slim yet strong and he was probably fit. Maybe it was a condition since he said "sometimes". So many things she didn't know about him...

"Best be off." Naruto's cherry voice and the brush of air as he turned. Natsuki's call over her Daddy's shoulder. Mechanically, Hinata nodded and lifted a hand to wave. She tried to zone out this part. Watching Naruto walk away towards the hidden part of his life that was "home" was a bit hard. Shyness was a curse. Even though her mother had always called it cute and endearing, it got you nowhere; just like her father always said. Mostly she didn't mind but when it came to things like this, it was more than a little frustrating. Sometimes she just wanted to follow Naruto home to see where it was he lived. He always came to the kindergarten by foot. Did he live far? Did he park further down? Did he and Natsuki possibly bus?

Hinata shook her head. Today's meeting had been shorter than most. Likely because of Kiba leaving with Shino so early.

Funny how small things like that made you sad when you were in love.


	7. Chapter 7

_Epic. Writers Block. There needs to be a set cure for block. You have no idea how much music I've listened to, amv's I've watched and fanart I've looked at. That usually does it and I'm like "uwaaah~~ Inspiration!" But no. Took forever. Guu!~_

_Anyway, I hope you can enjoy the chapter! ._

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It was the middle of the week when Hinata heard from Naruto again.

"Hinata sensei? Its me." Hinata's hands shook as she held the receiver tightly in both hands. It was seven in the morning and she was setting up for the day when the phone had rung and Naruto's voice, the voice she hadn't heard for two days called her; all husky and weak.

"Uzumaki san?" Hinata knew she sounded slightly hysterical. But that was to be expected of her. He laughed breathily into her ear.

"Looks like we really are useless, Natsuki and me. Sorry about not calling before but I thought we would beat this thing in a few days, she really must have picked it up from Yuiko chan. I thought we'd be ok but doesn't look that way. Fever and flushes, coughing, vomiting..." Naruto's voice was quiet. Hinata leaned over her desk holding the phone close like that would make her hear him better. He really had gotten sick. There was a silence.

"Uzumaki san...?"

"Ah... Hinata sensei. Can you come over?" Hinata stood up straight and looked around the room nervously.

"I-I can't really, I mean, the kindergarten..."

"I need help Hinata sensei, with Natsuki. I can't get out of bed and look after her properly and there's no one else who can come. I'm really sorry but please." There was a degree of begging to Naruto's voice that made Hinata want to be close to him, that made her unable to say no. But what of the kindergarten?

"Uzumaki san... I'm sorry but I-"

"Hinata sensei, I can't stand, please."

"I-I-I-I" Hinata's heart was beating painfully in her chest under the pressure. Naruto was asking her but the children... The kindergarten... Other parents had jobs they needed to get to. People depended on her...

"Kiba," said Naruto into her ear. Hinata blinked.

"Inuzuka kun...?"

"Yeah, Kiba has a teachers' only day today. He said that on Monday right? Can't you ask him to take your class today? He's a trustworthy guy. The kids already know him; he can bring his weird friend ne? Ne, Hinata sensei?" Naruto was breathing heavily with fever. Hinata couldn't even imagine what kind of face he was making in this moment.

"Hinata sensei, there's no one else who can help me out right now. I need you." Her hands shook.

"D-do you have Inuzuka kun's phone number, Uzumaki san? And your address please."

"Yeah, thanks."

...

In fact, Naruto did live quite close by, about twenty minutes down the road on foot so Hinata walked to his house dressed in practical jeans and loose shirt. The morning had a slight bite to it and despite the usually good weather, Konoha seemed to have changed its mind again as it often did and the sky looked like it might rain later in the day, possibly become quite nasty. The young teacher frowned and pulled her long hair into a pony tail.

When she arrived outside Naruto's home she found it to be a flat with a small garden. She took a short path up to the door and knocked. No one came so she tried the door which to her surprise was unlocked.

"Uzumaki san? Natsuki chan?" Hinata called from the doorway as she slipped a finger into the back of her shoe to pull it off. A step up and the room opened into a living space that flowed into a small kitchen. The room had the curtains closed and was dim. There were doors that Hinata guessed were bedrooms and a bathroom. One was ajar and a weak light was spilling across the carpet toward where Hinata stood.

"Uzumaki san?" She called louder this time.

"In here Hinata sensei," came the reply from the lit room and Hinata padded quietly across the floor and peeked in.

Naruto was sitting shirtless in a double bed with Natsuki lying against his chest. The TV was a low hum and the lamp that lit the room had a black shirt tossed on top of it to dampen its light.

"Uzumaki san, how long has your front door been unlocked?" asked Hinata, her features set in a concerned frown as she took the pair in and furiously ignoring Naruto's lack of shirt. Natsuki's hair was a tangle and stuck to her flushed cheeks. Her eyes were just open and watching whatever was on the TV. She breathed as though she were barely conscious. Naruto's skin was glossy with sweat and his face was so pale that the blue of his eyes looked frightening, standing out against the white, bordered by a light darkening around his eyes. He looked exhausted, like a child. But at least this way he might be easier for Hinata to handle. Apart from the no shirt thing...

"Sakura unlocked it on her way in this morning but must have left it open when she left for work," Naruto said and smiled weakly in Hinata's direction. "Shoulda told her to lock it after her." Hinata took a step into the room and tried not to think of Naruto telling her there was no one else who could help but her even though Haruno Sakura had been here.

"Uzumaki san, maybe Natsuki chan should take a bath, have some food and then go back to her own room and sleep properly," suggested Hinata timidly, not really too sure what she should say but she was sure that it was better for Natsuki to sleep away from the TV and the presence of her father that she was probably reluctant to leave in favor for sleep. She would be clean at least. Hinata could see how her bare arm and Naruto's chest were stuck together with fevered sweat. One of them might get better faster than the other anyway. "Have you two been drinking water?" Hinata added. Naruto looked embarrassed.

"Not much."

He really was a bit hopeless.

"Ok then, Natsuki chan can have a bath and then I'll make some food?" It came off as a question and Hinata panicked slightly when Naruto frowned at her.

"Natsuki won't have a bath by herself," he said and Hinata relaxed. "I don't wanna go with her incase I pass out or something, I'll have a quick shower; I'll have to sit but that's ok. Natsuki won't go alone though..." Natsuki, who had perked up at the sound of her name was watching Hinata.

"Bath...?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah Bub, Hinata sensei is going to take you." Natsuki looked worried.

"Is she getting in too? The plug might eat me if I'm by myself..." she said. Hinata smiled a little. She didn't have other clothes but she hadn't put these ones on that long ago, unlike Natsuki who as she sat up slowly revealed the shirt she was wearing to be drenched in sweat and looked to be unchanged since the last time Hinata saw her at the kindergarten.

"I-I'll get in Natsuki chan," said Hinata with a blush. Both sets of Uzumaki eyes blinked at her.

"You're awesome Hinata sensei," grinned Naruto. The blush deepened.

"Awesome," echoed Natsuki.

"Let's go then Natsuki," smiled Hinata putting on her best smiley face and reaching for Natsuki. The child peeled away from her father and was sweaty and hot in Hinata's arms.

"You sit at the plug end ok, Sensei?"

"Ok."

...

Hinata and Natsuki took a bath together but the both ended up sitting at the end that didn't have the plug because Natsuki was tired and wanted to lean against Hinata so the teacher sat with the small girl between her legs and Natsuki's head in her chest.

"You're soft." Natsuki had said to Hinata with her eyes closed and her face turned slightly into the woman's skin. Hinata stroked water through the child's hair and smiled sadly. How long had Natsuki gone without fleshy chests and slender hands? How long hadn't she had a mother? So long that she couldn't remember?

"Have you never had a bath with Sakura san?" asked Hinata, using 'Sakura' over 'Haruno' so that Natsuki would know who she was talking about.

"Sakura... Shes not soft like Sensei," Natsuki had replied.

When they got out Hinata cooked rice gruel since it was easy to eat, fed it to Natsuki and took some to Naruto who screwed up his nose at the sloppy texture but ate it anyway. Then Hinata put Natsuki to bed and went to help Naruto to the shower.

With his arm draped over her shoulder they made their way slowly to the bathroom. Naruto smelt like sweat and sickness. His skin was burning and making Hinata's shirt stick to her with the combined body heat. He was heavier than she had guessed.

"Uzumaki san, are you alright?" she asked when they got to the bathroom and she set him down on the floor next to the shower door. He was panting and leaning over himself with his head in his hands.

"I'm fine," he muttered back as she turned on the water.

"OK, you have a shower and c-call if you n-need me." Hinata stumbled over the sentence as images of Naruto passing out from the heat as he feared and her having to come in and get him flashed before her eyes. She turned to the door to leave, hiding her bright red face.

"Hinata sensei."

"Yes, Uzumaki san?" She chanced a look back to find him smiling up at her.

"I think we can be on first names by now don't you? I mean you are here, bathing my kid, cooking us food..." Hinata nearly passed out but dipped her head into a nod, her expression hidden under her fringe.

"OK..." She could feel Naruto smiling.

"Yes who?"

"N-N-Naruto... san." He laughed and Hinata quickly left the room.

...

Hinata changed the sheets on Naruto's bed while he was in the shower. After that there was nothing to do so Hinata walked around the living area looking at everything.

On the far side of the room was a glass cabinet that housed a very old looking tea ceremony set. Atop it were three photographs in frames. One was of Natsuki, all thin baby hair and big clear eyes with a gumless smile at the camera man. Another was of a dirty group of boys in well worn baseball uniforms and caps. Naruto stood in the middle with a huge grin and peace signs. Next to him was a taller boy with long bangs and dark eyes, a smirk on his face and a hand on Naruto's shoulder. He was the one of the only boys who wasn't smiling widely or pulling strange faces. Kiba was on the other side of Naruto and was grinning just as wide, an arm slung over Naruto's shoulder. He looked young; his face fuller and hair shorter beneath his hat. He had grown since then too. Hinata thought she knew a few of the other boys but she couldn't be sure.

She felt a bit lonely looking at the pictures, so much she didn't know about Naruto. Really, just so much she didn't know about what had happened around her at highschool. Even Kiba... she had never known this man when he was younger even though he must have been right in front of her nose. Naruto too.

The last picture looked fairly recent and was of Naruto and the dark haired boy that Hinata guessed was Uchiha Sasuke, accompanied by a woman with pink hair who was obviously Haruno Sakura who was cuddling Natsuki. Sasuke was supposed to be Naruto's bestfriend but Sakura was there too. They all looked happy. Perhaps they were all best friends...

Hinata leaned in to look at Haruno Sakura's face. The girl was quite pretty, seafoam green eyes and softly curved face. Her hair was short, cropped up around her jawline and she was wearing a red headband. Quite pretty indeed.

But just a friend.

Hinata straightened and wandered over to the book shelf, running her fingers over the books there and smiling. Naruto didn't really seem to be the kind of person who read... Maybe they had been someone else...

"_Two face", "Dominoes", " The Sun and the Rainfall", "All the Small Things", "Violence and Smiles", "Unorthodox Method of Sleeping", "Mind, Body and Soul", "Song of the Storm", "A Lovely Love Story", "When the Cat's Away"_... Hinata read the spines of the books. She read but she had never heard of any of those titles before or seen any of the authors.

The bathroom door across the room and Hinata turned to see Naruto standing against the doorway in clean clothes and looking a bit healthier. He had colour in his cheeks but Hinata wondered whether that was just from the heat of the shower.

"Uzu... Naruto san, are you feeling better? Do you need help getting back to bed? I changed the sheets," Hinata called quietly, conscious of Natsuki asleep in her room. Naruto smiled at her.

"Why aren't you married?" He asked and Hinata jumped.

"P-pardon?"

"You, you're so good at everything, why aren't you married?"

"I-I-I-I-I think it's a bit e-early for that s-s-ort of t-thing" stammered Hinata, backing up a bit with a quiet look of horror on her face at being asked something so direct. Naruto looked thoughtful.

"I settled pretty early but that's probably because of Natsuki. She's adopted you know. They couldn't find a home for her so she was living in the babies ward at the hospital. Her parents just left her all alone. My... dad I suppose you'd call him; Iruka, is a doctor. No one would take her so we did."

_We. _

Hinata didn't ask, just hummed a response. Naruto looked tired even though he was smiling over at Natsuki's door.

"Naruto san, let's get you to bed. I'll get you some water and then I'll go. I'll come back if I don't hear from you tomorrow," said Hinata after a moment. Naruto blinked.

"Thanks."

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**_Don't own any of the story titles mentioned. Would love to have a claim on any of them but nah. ;P_**


	8. Chapter 8

_Man. Hinata should just never think. Ever. Because she doesn't talk a whole lot she must have so much going on in her head. Sigh. _

_Anywhooo, the whole Japanese honorifics thing is so amazingly cool to me and once I started with Naruto making Hinachan call him the way we all know and love him I couldn't stop. Boys are so mean to girls ;P_

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Hinata hung around Naruto's place a bit; at least an hour in his living room incase Natsuki needed resettling or Naruto couldn't sleep. By the time Hinata did leave Naruto's there was still a part of the day left so she decided headed back to the kindergarten. While walking and lost in her thoughts she tried not to let the "we" Naruto had said play in her mind. It was nosy right? To want to know something like that. If Naruto had wanted to name names he would have. Or was it simply that he didn't read that much into that sort of thing?

Hinata sighed. "We". "We"... She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to feel like she needed to pry... The line had given Hinata more to go on though.

"_So we took her in"._ That proved that Naruto and his partner really were most likely highschool sweethearts since they were already together when they decided to take Baby Natsuki in. It also solved the case of why Naruto was such a young father.

But "we." "We." "We." ... Hinata was still thinking about it as she approached the kindergarten.

To her surprise, as soon as she came walking in the gates of the kindergarten she had a dozen soft bodies being thrown at her legs and tiny hands gripping her shirt. The children piled onto their teacher in a swell of "Okaeri!"'s, "are you ok?"s and sniffling noses until Hinata toppled backwards and landed heavily on the concrete path behind her.

"Hinata sensei!"

"Sensei!"

Hinata lifted her eyebrows. Just what had Kiba done to these children?

"Guys, what's wrong?" At that moment, Kiba came walking down the pathway with Shino at his side and some of the less hysteric children running circles around their legs, in their arms and Shino was carrying Erika on his shoulders.

"Oh, Hinata sensei, Okaeri," said Kiba casually, raising a hand in greeting.

"Inuzuka kun..."

"Yo."

"Hello... what... what is going on here?" By now Hinata was on her knees. Kiba offered her a hand up and she took it and let him pull her to her feet while he began to talk.

"I guess they just missed you," he said with a wolfish grin and Shino elbowed him in the ribs.

"Kiba."

"OK, well we may have told them that we kidnapped you and that you could only come back if they were good and didn't tell their parent about us looking after them by ourselves..." Hinata blinked and frowned gently.

"Why would you do that?" Kiba rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well, I didn't know how easy they'd be to manage without their beloved sensei around and I thought it was probably best if the mamas and daddys didn't know about you leaving two highschoolers in charge... Not that I'm _really_ a highschooler..." Kiba mumbled. "We did tell them that you were all comfy and chillin' out watching anime or something somewhere though, its not like we said that you were evilly kidnapped," he tagged on quickly. Kiba looked somewhat anxious. Right now his face was a mixture of embarrassment and a half grin that he was trying to use to cover himself. Kiba turned his eyes to Hinata. "Was that... wrong?" Hinata smiled and looked around. The children were calmer now and mostly they were talking about trivial things or were off to play again. Two girls were arguing over the best anime and which one Hinata might have watched. Only a few stood guard over their sensei at her knee.

"It may have been a bit much but I think its fine Inuzuka kun," Hinata said kindly and Kiba's face broke into relief and he stepped back and put his arms behind his head.

"I thought so too but ya know. Some of them were a little worried. How was Naruto sempai and Natsuki anyways?"

Dusting of her pants, Hinata replied, "They seem fine at the moment, nothing to really worried about but I told N-Naruto san I would go back tomorrow if I didn't hear f-from him." She looked up to find Kiba with his mouth wide open.

"Heeeh... 'Naruto san?' Since when do you call him that? You don't call anyone over five by their first name." The man took a moment of silence before moving a step forward and pointing to his chest with a determined look on his face.

"Me too ok? It's Kiba. Kiiiiba." Hinata blushed and shook her head.

"That's... It's because N-Naruto san was..."

"Kiiiiiiibbaaaaaa..." He insisted.

"But I... you're..."

"Kiba. Kiba. Kiba. Kiba. Kiiiiiba." Kiba was staring at her intently, then moved forward so he sort of stood over her. "I hate being called Inuzuka. Only teachers call me that."

"I-I am a teacher." Kiba pouted.

"You're my friend and friends should be friendly enough to say first names right? I call you by yours don't I?"

"Y-y-you always have... And it's what the ch-children call me..." At this point some of the students had gathered around again and were watching their teacher getting bullied into calling Kiba by his first name.

"Then I'll call you just Hinata. That'll be fair. Is that alright with you?"

"T-t-t-that's..." The woman was almost in tears under the pressure and embarrassment but Kiba didn't seem to notice. Why was he so set on being called on the same grounds as Naruto?

"Hinata. Hinata chan. Hinata san. Hinata. It's easy, see. Now, Kiiiibaaa."

"K-k-k-k-k-k-k-Kib-b-b-a... kun..." Hinata nearly whimpered.

"Success!"

The boy looked happy with himself but then turned back to Hinata who was wiping her eyes. Guilt hung in the air between them as Kiba realized he had made her teary eyed. Hinata tried to muster the strength to tell him that she wasn't crying because she didn't like it. It was just that sort of thing... So direct and demanding...

"Ah... Sorry to pressure you but I told you from the start. 'It's Kiba'." Hinata couldn't say anything. She could feel Kiba's awkwardness. It was a simple enough thing to say; 'Kiba', but he was so insistent. In the end it was Shino who spoke up.

"Hyuuga san, are you alright?" Hinata jumped.

"U-un. I'm ok."

"Kiba. I think our work is done." Hinata thought Shino sounded a little bit mad.

"Yeah. See you later Hinata." Her name felt naked without the 'sensei'.

"B-bye." Hinata thought she heard Shino mutter something about bullying girls to Kiba on his way out.

When they were gone Hinata sunk to her knees and took a deep breath.

"Ok? Sensei is ok?" Touya was at her side with one small hand fanned between her shoulder blades and rubbing small circles. Hinata laughed breathily. He was always the leader of the group, acting like he was a big boy.

"I'm fine Touya kun. Inuzuka kun is just a bit scary when he's pushy like that. I'm not mad at him I just..." Touya nodded with a serious look on his cute face. Hinata thought he was just playing along like he understood the terror of calling someone by their first name but then Touya spoke again.

"But you know Sensei, if Kiba sensei doesn't like being called Inuzuka then you shouldn't call him it. Because I hate it too; people who say Suyama to me coz it sounds like I'm in trouble or like I'm my Niichan."

Lavender eyes widened.

"Kiba sensei said it, that it sounds like teachers, so you should just say Kiba." How old was this boy again?

"Touya!" The warm hand moved away and Touya's serious face was replaced by a bright smile as Takaya called him.

"Bye sensei. I'm going to play now. Mama will be here soon."

"U-un..."

Hinata stood and watched Touya run of to join Takaya and a group of other boys and thought the last few ours over. She felt small like she had lost something today even though calling someone by their first name meant you had gained something; a closer relationship. Kiba and Naruto were similar when it came to their high levels of friendliness. If Hinata had been less shy she would have called the pair of them by their first names from the start since being called last names probably felt wrong to them. But she wasn't and even though Naruto had called her in the same affectionate manner that the children did; 'Hinata sensei' and Kiba told her _"Its Kiba" _right away she couldn't respond in the same way. It made her nervous to be on first name terms.

'_Naruto san'_

'_Kiba kun'_

'_Hinata'. _

The young woman held her hair away from her face as a passing breeze picked it up and toyed it across one side of her face. She smiled a little, uncertainty pressing at the inside of her lips.

Nervous? Or was it really jittery happiness?

She was happy that she was closer to people who seemed to see her as a friend right? Especially with Naruto. Even if he didn't know that she loved him, he liked her enough to say "Hinata" when he looked at her. Just Hinata, without the "sensei" that made her only the person who cared for his daughter in his absence.

But it was scary because did the dropping of honorifics and the changing of one name to another mean something had to change? She was happy inside this everyday simple pace. Her and Naruto and Kiba to keep things moving. She didn't yet have the courage to tell Naruto how she felt and somehow she felt that it wasn't the right time so she was happy to see him and talk with him and have him look at her when his eyes were still full of love for his baby girl at the end of the day.

Would something change? Or would it stay the same? For good or for bad? That was what made Hinata anxious.

She shook her head and chuckled at her own worries.

Overthinking it.


	9. Chapter 9

_"Keep updating"? Alright then... *nervous*_

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The rest of the week passed fairly uneventful. Natsuki didn't come into the kindergarten the day after Hinata had gone round but Naruto made a phone call to Hinata telling her that he felt much better. The next day they were both there bright and early, a bit sniffly and coughing a little but things continued as normal. Kiba stopped in too and they stood as they always had. They talked normally and they both called her "Hinata". Naruto and Kiba teased each other about "Naruto san" and "Kiba kun" while Hinata smiled and stood back, trying not to feel self-conscious.

"_You sound like an old guy sempai!"_

"_You sound like a brat with that 'kun' tagged on the end"_

"_I didn't ask for it, it's just Hinata doing that!" _

"_Me too! I didn't say 'san' when I told her to call me by my first name."_

Nothing had really changed to Hinata's relief.

Over the weekend Hinata caught up with her father and younger sister at the family home for lunch and ended up staying for dinner too when her cousin Neji and his long time girlfriend Tenten dropped in. She then walked home in the dim light of the nearly nighttime, passing by Naruto's house now that she knew that his house, the kindergarten and her nearby apartment were all in the same neighborhood. She smiled as she walked. At home she had a long bath and then decided to turn in early, climbing into bed all clean and hot water sleepy.

...

Hinata dreamed of Naruto that night.

She was in a hall at a masquerade ball in a long blue dress but with no mask. Her features felt big and accentuated with makeup she didn't remember putting on. The room was breathtaking; all sparkles and expensive looking chandeliers, white lights and champagne. It was beautiful. She didn't know anyone since everyone was wearing a mask but Hinata danced with countless strangers that spun her and moved in perfect time for what felt like hours; sweeping and swirling until somewhere in the background, out of the blue she heard Naruto's voice calling her. It sounded dull and felt heavy on her ears as if underwater.

"Hinata." Hinata twisted her head this way and that as her current partner stepped out into a wide circle.

"Hinata." Where was Naruto? The room was a blur of figures and golden scenery that made her slightly dizzy as she moved. She couldn't see him anywhere and his voice kept coming from different directions, bouncing off the walls of the spacious room.

"Hinata!" Louder this time, clearer. Hinata broke away from her partner and stood still, listening. Her heart was beginning to pound.

"Hinata!" The voice was becoming desperate. Was he looking for her? A shivery cold feeling of panic Hinata couldn't understand slipped over her spine.

"Hinata!" He was loud, but where? Where? Why was he sounding so scared? Because she, shy and skitter, was all by herself in a sea of no faces? Surely he wasn't that aware of her?

"Hinata!" This time it pulled something inside of her and she knew she had to find Naruto, to calm that terrified cry of his. The feel of the dance floor shifted.

The room was suddenly very full as Hinata tried to push her way through, searching for Naruto but all the people were tall, even the women. Once again the panic ran cold fingers down her back and her stomach churned.

"Excuse me, sorry excuse me." Hinata pushed and pushed but no one seemed to pay attention. All the pretty masks she had been admiring on the faces of the guests were all at once very scary; faces without eyes and only mouths that smiled cruelly down at her as she tried to get somewhere, anywhere. Her heart jumped up into her mouth and hammered loudly in her temples. She could feel it pulse under her cheeks.

"Naruto san...Naruto san..." she called weakly. Tears were prickling hot and itching at the corners of her heavy make up eyes. Something was very wrong but she couldn't place what. The air was thick.

"HINATA!" She snapped her head left and there he was! Up on the staircase coming down, taking two stairs at a time with his painfully blue eyes frantically moving over the heads until they found her dark hair and blue dress. Their eyes locked and with a voice that jolted Hinata's whole body forward Naruto screamed for her.

"HINATAAAAA!"

The terrifyingly beautiful ball room dissolved away in a puff of smoke that when Hinata opened her eyes, found had filled the room.

"HINATA! WAKE UP! HEY! HINATA!" Naruto really was there, screaming at her and shaking her roughly in her room that was full of black smoke. Hinata blinked drowsily and tried to breathe in but came up coughing. The choking stench of the smoke brought tears streaming down her face in one breath.

"HINATA! CAN YOU GET UP!" Arms were around her shoulders and her body, heavy and coughing lolled back and then jerked forward, spluttering. She tried to speak, confused and not totally gripping the situation but her mouth filled with smoke.

"HINATA!" The threads of sleep let go and she was awake. The crackle of the flames in the next room were loud and Naruto was lifting her over his shoulder. She coughed again as she came closer to the smoke.

Naruto! Why was he here? What was this! A house fire? Fire? Hinata's heart was beating so fast it had her clutching feebly at her chest with her arms that didn't work properly. She could feel the intense heat of the flames burning her skin.

"Naruto san," Hinata managed through her coughing.

"HINATA! I'M GONNA GET YOU OUT OF HERE! DON'T WORRY!" Naruto was coughing too at this point. She could hear the rasp of his breath, even worse than her own. He had been sick Hinata remembered. She felt his body stumble and almost buckle under the weight of hers.

"...Don't worry..." She made out part of Naruto's sentence as her vision was pitched between black and excruciatingly bright orange. How long had she lain in that smoke? Too long.

"Naruto san..." They were making their way slowly down the short hallway. There was creaking and groaning of burning wood around them, a siren in the distance.

Naruto staggered and went down on one knee. Hinata tried to draw in air but thick smoke dragged across her tongue. Naruto's shoulder was heaving under her belly. It was hot. She was burning she was sure. Her arms that hung in front of her were black with ash.

"Naruto... san..." Her voice sounded like it didn't belong to her; old and gruff, hoarse like a smoker's. Naruto hacked out a cough in response and tried to grip her legs more tightly.

"It's ok... It's gonna be ok..." Something behind them collapsed. At this rate they would be trapped and Hinata had no more air to breathe; only smoke that was stealing her body's little strength. Smoke and fire and Naruto's heaving shoulder against her were all she knew. She blinked slowly and then again. Her eyes and nose stung. Her face was wet with tears that kept pouring down her face. Pitching dangerously between black and orange...

The last thing Hinata remembered were stronger arms lifting her away from Naruto's half collapsed body...

* * *

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

Hinata sat with her face, clean and ash free in her hands in the hospital room.

It's all my fault.

Naruto lay in the bed before her, his eyes closed and hands bandaged from the burns he had received when trying to push open Hinata's door.

There was no warning. No lead up, no signs. Just completely out of the blue, unplanned. There was never any warning for this sort of thing. The day had been good , normal. And then.

A house fire. Sparked by Hinata's laptop in the lounge that she had forgotten to unplug. That's what they said. A mistake that made Naruto, that man lying in the hospital bed, have to rush in and pull her from her bed as she lay dreaming of ball rooms and golden scenery. How Naruto had chanced upon her blazing home in the early hours of the morning Hinata didn't know but he had and he had saved her life, carrying her as far as he could until the fire brigade arrived and pulled them both from the fire.

Hinata had regained consciousness and had been breathing into a mask for the last hour or so but now she was fine and she was sitting in Naruto's hospital room while Naruto slept. Natsuki was curled up asleep in the chair next to her, little black smudges on her cheeks where her father had touched her face in half consciousness as they loaded him into the ambulance on her white cheeks that she refused to rub away until her father awoke.

Hinata breathed out, the air trembling past her lips. Nothing serious they said. He had been sick so the smoke had really gotten to him but nothing serious. He'll just be asleep a little while... Still.

It's all my fault.

Naruto san...

Hinata lifted her head and got quietly to her feet as not to wake Natsuki or Naruto, padding lightly to Naruto's side. She watched his sleeping face, twisting her own into an anguished frown for a moment and then a sad smile.

He really was quite the hero, rushing in like that and throwing her over his shoulder even when he should have known the smoke would affect him badly.

He had made it to her just in time. While they were in the hallway the roof around Hinata's bedroom door had collapsed.

Hinata bent over Naruto, risking a cold, trembling hand of hers on a still hand of his. A feeling of contentment blossomed and swelled in her chest. He was warm. Naruto didn't stir. She sighed a little.

This man was such a good person, why didn't he just wait for the firemen...? Why did he... Hinata leaned over and closed her eyes, breathing in Naruto's honeysuckle scent.

Closer...

Closer...

Her lips gently touched Naruto's, just light enough to be there. Little jolts of electric excitement jumped through Hinata's body. This was... This was...

"_What are you doing?"_ Hinata jumped back with a gasp and flew frightened eyes in the direction of the doorway where the loud, flat yet somehow authority holding voice had rung out from. Out of the corner of her eye Naruto stirred with a groan. Natsuki too.

He had woken everyone. He in the doorway. Long dark bangs framing a pale face and black steady eyes, blinking careful and controlled at Hinata.

"I...I..."Hinata was frozen, a lump lodged in the base of her throat. This man was... from the photograph... Why was he...

Natsuki's chair scraped as she jumped from it and as the little girl by passed Hinata in short quick strides, a dream shattered. The woman's eyes went wide and her knees wobbly.

"_Papa!" _

The illusion, the daydream she had been living in was over. As soon as the word, the name passed Natsuki's lips Hinata clicked. She looked back for one second to see Naruto watching only the man in the door way and a sick feeling of embarrassment washed over her bringing tears to her eyes. Suddenly everything made so much sense it hurt. Everything. Memories flashed through her mind. Everything she had missed... Or taken in stride without considering _this! _at all.

.

"_That's kind of miserable, liking him... So you know then..."_

"_After he got under Sasuke sempai's thumb…"_

"_...__Naruto was the only one that that jerk Uchiha would give a smile to"_

"_...__only one Naruto liked enough…"_

"_Is Daddy pretty too? I heard _him_, I heard that say Daddy is bootiful"_

_Why when Naruto said 'don't let you know who hear you say that' to Natsuki, 'you know who' sounded living. _

_Naruto's unexpected fierceness on the topic of Sasuke that day before the baseball game._

_The reason Natsuki had never bathed with a woman other than Sakura before Hinata.._

_Uchiha Sasuke's hand on Naruto's shoulder in the baseball photograph; subtly, unconsciously possessive..._

_Why Naruto had so many books when he didn't seem like the type to read..._

_._

"Sasuke?" Uchiha Sasuke didn't look when Naruto called and was still looking at Hinata even as he reached his arms out to lift Natsuki against him.

"Heya Bub," he murmured softly to the child as she snuggled against him.

"Hinata..." Kiba was at the door too, tucked in behind Sasuke. They had both seen what Hinata had done.

"I...I..." There was no air and everyone was looking at her. She couldn't speak. Her eyes flicked desperately between the three males, willing someone to speak up and explain for her but only she could account for what had just happened. They all just watched. Sasuke with almost no expression on his face, Kiba with his eyebrows furrowed into a worried, confused frown, Naruto, who she tried not to look at, with an innocently blank look and eyes that kept switching between looking at Sasuke and Hinata.

She didn't know what to do. What should she say?

"I...I was..." Nothing was right and the world was spinning under her feet. She didn't know what to do. What had she done? The embarrassment was more painful than the heartbreak and shock. She didn't know what to do at all.

So she ran. Pushed straight past Sasuke, not caring that he was holding a child, and knocked Kiba aside.

"Hinata?"

"Hinata!"

_The dream was over._


	10. Chapter 10

_I have some pretty epic depression going on atm which led to me sitting down and writing mindlessly for aaages so I'm a bit early with posting :) Convenient ne?_

_I wish you enjoy it (saw someone say that –probs not an English speaker- and thought it was so adorable X3)_

* * *

After Hinata left the room and was down the hallway she slowed to a fast paced walk with her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying, because despite her heart wrenching embarrassment and shock making her need to run away, she was too shy to make a spectacle of herself in front of the nurses in doing so. She took the stairs slowly with one hand on the wall, her mind reeling. When she got to the point where the stairs turned she knelt down and hid her face in the corner of the wall. Emotion pressed dangerously against her eyes.

Naruto was... He had never... All this time...

She breathed in deep and shaky. How it must have looked to that man that Natsuki had called "Papa"; Hinata leaning over with her mouth pressed to Naruto's... She squeezed her eyes shut and fought the urge to release a strangled sob. She had made such a big mistake. And Kiba was there too. How stupid she must have looked to him. Why didn't he tell her? He knew right? He knew Naruto and came in with Sasuke, probably after calling him about what happened after she had the nurses call Kiba. He had let her lead herself on all this time? He had watched her with those eyes that always looked so open and known that Naruto would never look at her like that?

How cruel... Tears slipped past Hinata's eyelashes. This was the worst.

"Hinata? Where are you Hinata?" Kiba's voice rang out along the hallway and the slapping of shoe on clinical blue floor was heard fast and even. She heard him lift up his feet into small quick steps to come down the stairway. Hinata pressed herself further into the wall wishing to disappear. She didn't have the will to run anymore. She was so ashamed and angry at herself.

"Hinata? What are you doing? Are you alright?" Big hands covered her hunched shoulders as Kiba bounced down onto his haunches behind her. She tensed.

He had lied to her.

"Hinata?" His voice was concerned. "You're...Hey... It's ok..." Hinata realized she was crying, letting tiny noises of anguish past her lips.

"Hinata..." Kiba turned her around with his hands and she covered her face. She was angry at him and wanted to tell him, wanted to demand an explanation, but she couldn't face him; he who had seen and known... His fingers were around her wrists trying to gently pull her hands away from her face but she gripped the edge of her fringe and didn't let him. Kiba rubbed her shoulder uncertainly.

"Hinata... You've had time to get around this, why are you so upset? I get that it was embarrassing but Sasuke sem-"

"You knew! You knew!" Hinata wanted to be fierce and yell but all she could manage was a furious whisper against her palms. "I can't believe you knew!" Silence.

"What are you talking about, of course I knew, I always knew," said Kiba slowly. "You knew too."

"I didn't know!" Hinata shook her head in her hands. "I didn't know. I had no idea." She felt Kiba lean over her, his grip on her wrists tightening.

"What do you mean? We talked about it the first time you met me. I saw you liked him and said that it sucked and you said yes and I said so you know then and you said_ yes_! What does "yes" mean if not "I understand"?" Hinata just shook her head, her anger for Kiba fading away. It was all her stupid fault...

"I didn't know... I thought that... I just... I didn't know." She was a mess. The tears just wouldn't stop. For someone like her, so shy and small, this was terrible and being seen in this state. Being seen all worked up over something so...

Kiba pulled her weak hands away with ease.

"Oh Hinata, you stupid girl," the man murmured as he hooked his arms under hers and lifted her against him, swallowing her with his body as she heaved out sobs. She didn't want to be touched but he insisted, his arms warm and strong. She tried to find the strength to struggle but he patted her head and rubbed her back and she just couldn't.

They stayed like that until Hinata was done and for several minutes after. Eventually Kiba held her back by her shoulders and looked her over, quirking his mouth into a wolfish half grin, his eyes soft.

"If you talked more we wouldn't have this problem," he said lightly. Hinata blushed and wiped her nose.

"I think we have to go back and have you thank Naruto sempai for dragging you halfway outta your burning house," he mused, watching Hinata's horrified face.

"I can't, I can't go back in there after..." Kiba got to his feet and offered her a hand up.

"It'll be fine. Honestly, Naruto sempai wasn't awake so it'll be all goods," he said taking a step into the lead, making her follow to hear what else he had to say.

"Oh and by the way." He stopped suddenly after only going halfway back up the stairs. "I know that you like Naruto sempai and everything and finding out he's not into girls must be a kick in the guts but..."Kiba looked over his shoulder and smiled. "When you're done crying over him, why not try looking at me?"

And then he carried on up the stairs.

...

When they got back to the room, Kiba walking all the way there in the lead and Hinata three steps behind, they found Natsuki sitting in a plastic chair outside the closed door. Hinata pressed her fingertips to her sore eyelids and wondered if her eyes were as red and puffy as they felt. She didn't really want Natsuki to see, even though she had seen Hinata run out.

"Hi Hinata sensei and Kiba," she said smiling. "Are you alright now Sensei?" Hinata smiled somewhat tightly.

"Yes, thank you for asking Natsuki chan," replied Hinata quietly as she chanced a glance at Kiba who was watching her. She quickly flicked her gaze away.

"Why you run away when Papa came in Sensei?" asked Natsuki suddenly. Hinata opened her mouth and closed it nervously. Natsuki was still watching her innocently. Hinata didn't quite know what to say.

"Is it because you were jealous when you saw I have a Daddy and a Papa?" Hinata blinked.

"Uh..."

"Because if you're sad Sensei I'll share mine with you because I have two. Even though they are different, I have two so I can share. Do you have a Daddy Hinata sensei?"

"I do." Natsuki sat back in her chair a bit and for a moment Hinata thought she was going to ask why she ran away again but she looked back and said, "Papa wanted to talk to Daddy so I have to sit here." And left it there, looking back to the hem of her pajama shirt. Hinata suddenly realized she had no idea how Natsuki had gotten to the hospital if Sasuke was only just here, and was about to ask when Kiba tugged on the sleeve of her hospital borrowed shirt.

"Let's listen," he said pressing his ear to the door of Naruto's room and dragging her with him.

"W-we can't Kiba kun!" But he just shushed her and she blushed, guiltily leaning against the door too to listen to Naruto and Sasuke talking.

"...shouldn't be walking around at night, I've told you that a million times Naruto."

"And I've told you, I can't sleep sometimes. Walking is good for you!"

"Well you shouldn't be taking Natsuki round with you when you do, much less rushing into house fires." Hinata bit her lip. Just hearing Naruto talk so comfortably, so recklessly...

"She was asleep and I had her wrapped up in a blanket so it was fine. If I hadn't bought her she would have been at home by herself anyway. And of course I was going to run into there! Hinata was in there! As soon as I saw her name on the mailbox I ran in, she's a precious person so I had to!"

Sasuke muttered something incredulously that Hinata didn't catch but felt Kiba smile next to her. A moment of quiet followed.

"I couldn't just leave her in there."

"You could have called the fire department and waited."

"I did call but I wasn't gonna leave her. She's a precious person." Hinata remembered Natsuki saying that too; 'precious person'.

"A precious person who gives you kisses when you're asleep?" asked Sasuke and Hinata swore she heard a pout that absolutely didn't suit Uchiha Sasuke in the voice.

"She's shy, she was just thanking me! If _you _had saved her she would have given _you _a kiss too!" protested Naruto and Hinata drew in a breath. Kiba knocked his shoulder against hers in a 'told you he wouldn't get it' way. Hinata blushed at the contact. How could he just do that after saying what he did on the stairs?

"Dobe. You're so stupid. Don't worry me like that." Hinata felt a pang at the insult turned nickname.

"Teme... It's your fault you know. I was walking because you weren't home yet and I couldn't sleep... I always walk around when I can't sleep." There was the barely audible noise of air whooshing from the hospital mattress and Hinata assumed Sasuke had sat down on the edge of the bed. She tried not to imagine it; the man she had held such affection for watching Uchiha Sasuke as they sat together. She pulled away from the door.

Naruto san...

Kiba touched her back and she jumped and looked to him.

"Don't be so sad. It's not like you won't see him and he won't still be your friend. These things happen, you just gotta learn to deal. You may not know it, being your oblivious self, but it does happen; the person you like already being taken or likes someone else. But ya get over it. So don't be so sad," he said with his expression unusually kind for a face that Hinata had seen teasing or sarcastic so many times.

"I-I suppose."

"Let's go in?"

"Ok..."

"Ready?"

"Yeah..."

Hinata put on her best brave face and followed Kiba through the door, ignoring her possibly red eyes and nose, her possibly quivering lips, and her possibly blushing cheeks and stepped into the white room. She would face Naruto who she loved and Sasuke who knew and she would smile.

Naruto was untouchable. Someone who she felt would be around for a while, in her life, but she would never have him. She knew that now. But she would smile and be brave and drive through the embarrassment and meet her heartbreak head on. And like Kiba said, she would eventually get over it and 'learn to deal'. She couldn't embrace Naruto but he wasn't gone.

**.**

**.**

**FIN**

**.**

**.**

_**{"The wind can touch you but you can't hold onto it."-Marcab}**_

* * *

_Didn't plan on this being the final chappie but it just sort of happened... I'll write an epilogue so please don't be mad at me for ending without warning! (I have a habit of doing this =_=)_

_That little quote sitting there was the reason for the title "The Wind" and ya know, Naruto's affinity ;P_


	11. Not an Epilogue

_Dear Readers aka Anyone who bothers reading this._

Just wanna get something off my chest since the whole ending to this story and the response to it has been making me feel sick and guilty all day. This may or may not be called for but it's something I wanna do because I'm just like that. This is not a rage because you guys have every right to be mad at me and I'm not trying to change those feelings. Be mad at me, whatever, but I want to be understood and not seen as a bad person. I think I'm being seen as nasty and untrustworthy. So...

I absolutely did not write 'The Wind' to intentionally trick you guys so I could laugh at you. I did not do it because I am some sort of Hinata hating yaoi fangirl and I wanted to rub Hinata's heartbreak in your face, in fact Hinata is my favourite female character. I adore her. And for those of you who suggested it was a review whoring scheme of mine you have no idea how bad that made me feel. That is so far from the truth it's not even funny. The ending also was not as it was because I got bored of the story and wanted to quickly end it. This was the plan from the start.

Aside from the fact that I write for me and no one else unless approached and asked to write something, I honestly started this story for a number of reasons that have almost nothing to do with my pairing preferences. Of course the outcome was based on that but why I really did this story is because:

1-I wanted to write and AU that had the dimension of a real life situation. How many love stories, _first_ love stories, work out? And yes people fall in love with someone who is already in love or already married. It could have caused problems and in real life it does cause problems but one of the reasons I chose Hinata for this role was because of her personality that we are all so fond of; loving, caring... and because of how I think her view on love would be (something like "as long as the person I love is happy I'll be alright) I believed that in this situation she would be able to act maturely. Letting go is something very hard to do and someone who is able to do this deserves a lot of respect. Hinata isn't aggressive and I thought she could pull out some good bittersweet lines which is what I wanted for this.

2-I wanted to mix up the pairings a bit. I don't want to start anything with anyone I just wanted to have complication and unpredictability; a twist. Life can't always go your way. I think Kiba is the logical choice for Hinata if not Naruto.

I truly wasn't out to hurt anyone and I'm sorry if you guys feel betrayed. Sorry doesn't mean anything now but I wanted to apologize anyway. I don't regret what I wrote but I still want to say sorry. I don't hate Hinata and it's not because of yaoi. In truth I would be just as happy to have Naruto hunker down with Hina chan and have cute little Hyuuga-Uzumaki babies. Sasuke can be best man at the wedding and hook up with some random. Whatever. I won't be mad if this is what happens at the end of the series. Because I like Hinata and because it is Kishimoto's story that he has put the effort into and he should be able to write what ever he wants. Naruto is my all time favourite anime character and whatever ends up making him smile that dobe-y smile of his the most is fine by me. Kishimoto may not even end up with any pairings ne?

For everyone who supported my decision, I love you guys very much. I will write the epilogue for you guys just as soon as I can. If you don't like it please don't read.

_Love Sandra._

P.S: Why are all the worst reviews people without accounts? Do you sign out just to "grr" at me? O_O


	12. Epilogue

_Epilogue! It's a just a taaaad early (ya know a few months) for Christmas but the idea of Natsuki+Christmas cookies was too much to resist. In my country it is also warm for Christmas. Who gets snow? I'm jealous._

_Isn't this up quickly? It's raining and my plans got ruined so I had time to kill ;P Plus I was in the mood after all the lovely reviews._

_Enjoy~_

* * *

**Epilogue.**

Hinata stood in front of her mirror and held different dresses across her bra and panties figure and frowned. Which dress should she wear? She glanced out the window into the warm evening. She had heard that some places had snow during the Christmas season but in all her lifetime, Konoha had always decided to be warm around this time...

Hinata blinked. Right. Dress. She tossed her long, loosely plaited hair over her shoulder impatiently.

Should she wear the red one? It was the colour of Christmas after all but it was a bit high in the front which always made her chest look as big as it was and it was a bit short... Being who she was that didn't really appeal... Hmmm.

Or the purple on with the deep red ribbon at the waist. It was longer but a light colour. If she spilt anything on it... Hinata sighed. What to wear, what to wear... Maybe not even a dress at all.

But it was Christmas. Although Naruto had said casual...

"Hinata?" There was a rap at the front door and Hinata jumped at Kiba's voice outside. "Are ya ready to go?"

"K-Kiba kun, not quite yet!" She blushed and scurried to pull on her robe and hurried to the door to let him in.

Kiba stood in the doorway in jeans and a white dress shirt. His hair was still damp from the shower and even at a distance he smelt fantastic. Hinata blushed and he grinned widely.

"Is that what you're wearing to the party?" he teased and Hinata tucked in her chin in and flushed again.

"Of course not," she replied and Kiba smirked.

"I'll wait outside so hurry up alright?"

"Alright."

Hinata closed the door. The red would look much too bold next to Kiba's worn blue jeans... She paused and felt herself redden.

It had been almost five months since the fire incident and Hinata had moved into a new apartment. It had been almost five months since that and almost five months since Kiba had said to her, '_why not try looking at me?" _too_. _Since then Hinata had been looking at him, noticing him. He certainly made her heart beat fast and he was kind to her and he liked her. He didn't find her stuttering or flushing or the fact that she got embarrassed so easily annoying. Plus he was good looking. They had hung out a lot more since Kiba had finished school; had lunch and things that the young teacher guessed counted as dates. If not for Hinata's inability to decide whether her feelings for Naruto were still romantic or not, everything would be perfect. It was a fact of life; feelings didn't just walk out and leave you alone even after something as shocking as finding out the truth about Naruto. They sort of had to fade and change into something new. Hinata was fairly sure her "love" for Naruto was changed or was in the process of changing and very nearly there, but she wanted to be absolutely sure first.

Naruto no longer made her palms sweaty when she looked at him and Hinata found she didn't look for him quite as much at the end of the day when he came to pick Natsuki. Provided it was he who came to get her. Since the fire in which Naruto had been walking around in the dark waiting for Sasuke to come home from work, Sasuke demanded that his company change his hours and because Sasuke was a valuable, "genius" of an employee, they had obliged and now Sasuke had time for life and things such as picking up his daughter from kindergarten.

Uchiha Sasuke. That was another thing that made Hinata think her heart was changed. Whenever she saw him and Naruto together they always looked so happy and it made her smile even when they were having their little quarrels. That had to mean something right? To see the person she loved or had loved, with someone else and feel that it was right.

Hinata pulled the purple dress over her head and listened to Kiba singing 'Jingle Bell Rock' loudly outside the door. With one last look in the mirror she opened the door and announced, "I'm ready now" to Kiba who looked her up and down and whistled making her flustered and making him laugh softly. They took the path out slowly and in comfortable silence.

"Can I hold your hand on the way, Hinata?" asked Kiba quietly as they came to the gate of her new apartment block. Hinata glanced side ways at the man next to her. His face was turned away and his hand outstretched toward her in invitation. Even in the dusty blue of the early evening Hinata could see his ears were red. She examined his hand as she stood in shocked silence, surprised by his bashfulness. Kiba had nice hands, big and soft looking. Hinata reached out and touched her fingertips to the inside of his palm. She felt him jump and when she looked up at him, his mouth was open in a small o and his eyes wide. Slowly, he closed his fingers, moving his hand as he did so it pressed and fitted against Hinata's. The blush that streaked across Hinata's nose and cheeks threatened to overtake her whole face. For a moment neither said anything, just stood and looked at their hands. And then Kiba laughed.

"Shall we go then, Hinata?" His eyes on her were warm, free of the usual glint of mischief even as the expression followed his laughter. Hinata stuttered.

"U-un. L-lets go."

...

"Welcomeeee!" cried Naruto as he pulled open the door and invited Kiba and Hinata in with a sweeping gesture of his arm and a silly bow. Hinata smiled at the jersey with a Christmas tree on it that he was wearing despite the warm weather. Once inside Naruto pulled Kiba into a manly hug and then hugged Hinata too with an exchange of 'Merry Christmas's between the three.

"Sasuke! Kiba and Hinata are here!" Naruto called in the direction of the kitchen while the guests removed their shoes.

"In a minute Naruto!" came the response and Naruto turned to them and hurried Kiba and Hinata past the entry way.

"Natsuki is learning the precise art of Christmas cookies from Sasuke's hip," he said with a wink.

Sasuke came through the doorway with Natsuki at his side and Hinata had to try very hard not to laugh at the pink apron that was dusted in flour the man was wearing over his black jeans and deep blue t shirt.

"Nice apron you got there Sasuke chan," mocked Kiba as soon as he saw him.

"Haha, Inuzuka," replied Sasuke rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm serious, it looks cuuute~" continued Kiba and Sasuke threw an oven mitt at him.

"Whatever." The dark haired man muttered with a scowl now that Naruto had joined in with Kiba's laughing too.

"Nice to see you Hinata," said Sasuke, hiking the apron over his head and setting it down before moving forward to shake hands with Kiba, grasping his hand so tight that Kiba yelped, and kiss Hinata lightly on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas you two," he said and side stepped as Natsuki rushed over to hug both Hinata and Kiba.

"Papa and me made cookies! Daddy wasn't allowed to help because he burns things!"enthused Natsuki holding the side of Hinata's dress.

"You're Papa is a clever one isn't he," praised Hinata and lifted four year old Natsuki into her arms for a cuddle.

"So is it just us or are there others coming?" asked Kiba as the adults took a seat around the coffee table and Natsuki squirmed from Hinata's arms and wandered off to play, taking a few cookies from the plate before she went.

"Well, I wanted to invite some of the guys like Shikamaru and all that but our place isn't really big enough so we only invited you and Sakura too," replied Naruto. "I thought it might just be the four of us though because Sakura is a doctor and might have had to work but she got the night off. She might bring Iruka with her if we're lucky." Hinata blinked. Sakura was her age and she was already a doctor? Sensing her question Kiba leant into her.

"Sakura sempai's a total brainbox, she was already studying before she even left highschool. Sasuke may be smart but Sakura sempai is on another level," he explained and Hinata nodded feeling a little unaccomplished.

It was at that moment that the door opened once more and in walked Haruno Sakura, recognizable from her cherry blossom pink hair and bright green eyes and another man with his long brown hair tied in a ponytail, a long scar running over his nose.

"Sakura chan! Iruka!" Naruto jumped up and Sasuke followed him over to greet the new arrivals. Kiba and Hinata watched from the couch.

"The hospital is so busy!" exclaimed Iruka as he hung up his coat. "I was sure we wouldn't get out of there. Why teenagers insist on breaking so many things around this time is beyond me."

"Alcohol obviously," said Sasuke and all of them laughed and agreed. Natsuki ran out of her room and came to join. Sakura bent down to receive the child's hug.

"Merry Christmas, Natchan!"

For a few moments there was just the five of them at the door but then Naruto ushered them over and introduced them. Sakura seemed to already sort of know Kiba and greeted him as such and then sat down next to Hinata and smiled at her.

"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, everyone uses my first name so you can too." Hinata blushed and straightened her dress. "I hear you're the kindergarten teacher who's been looking after our boys and Natchan. Sorry about that time where Naruto had to call you out to look after him. I would have stayed on that day but I had an early shift. I've always felt bad about that," Sakura explained and Hinata recalled that day. The first time she had been in this house. It seemed ages ago now.

"T-that's ok. I'm Hyuuga Hinata. It's ok to call me just Hinata," she replied.

"Hinata chan then. It's nice to meet you. Let's be friends from now on."

"Sakura... chan... Let's be friends," the quieter woman echoed back.

A warm feeling in Hinata's chest swelled as Sakura carried on chatting comfortably. It had been while since she had had a new friend and a female friend at that. In the background Naruto talked with Iruka who Hinata remember Naruto telling her was like a father to him, as Kiba and Sasuke exchanged teasing remarks about Sasuke's pink apron and the purple one Kiba wore when he helped out at the kindergarten.

The chatter continued with Sasuke getting up every once in a while to check on the dinner he was making for them all. Sometimes Natsuki went with him and sometimes she stayed in her room. Sometimes she came and sat on someone's knees. The conversation groups varied and Hinata gradually became comfortable enough to join in too and not even stutter when she was the only one talking when everyone was on one topic.

Hinata faded out of the conversation for a while and breathed in. The room was warm and smelt of dinner. Sasuke sure could cook. Hinata was happy and felt at home. As she glanced around the room she caught Kiba's eye as he listened to something Sasuke was saying. He smiled at her and her heart jumped up and she had to look away out of embarrassment. She could almost hear Kiba grin. Her eyes found Naruto and she watched him unnoticed for a moment as he laughed at something Iruka had said before he too caught her eye and smiled. Hinata's felt warm and smiled back before moving her eyes to the heart shaped cookie she was holding that she had heard Sasuke telling Iruka about how to Natsuki, they still counted as Christmas cookies because Christmas is a "love-love time". Running her fingers around the edge of the full curvy side she turned her lips up into a smile that looked like she had just confirmed something.

"Dinner's ready," called Sasuke from the kitchen and there was a shuffle of bodies as people got up. Hinata got to her feet and followed as the last one to leave, quiet and thoughtful.

The way her heart had reacted just now. The urge to simply protect and watch over the small family of Naruto, Sasuke and Natsuki...

"Coming Hinata?" Naruto was waiting on her in the doorway. He was just as bright, blued eyed and beautiful as the day she had met him. And she still loved him but now it was definitely different; changed. When she looked at him she saw Natsuki in his arms and Sasuke by his side. Her heart didn't jump up when she found his eyes solely on her anymore.

"Coming Naruto san."

"Smells good right?"

"Yes, I can't wait."

Maybe she would hold Kiba's hand on the way home too.


End file.
